TRANSPORT

A1

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what programme of widening and improvements he plans to the A1 from the Tyne to the Scottish borders.

David Jamieson: The programme of widening planned to the A1 from the Tyne to the Scottish borders is as follows:
	A1 Adderstone to Belford
	This proposed scheme will upgrade 4 km of single carriageway to dual carriageway which will significantly improve the alignment of the A1 improving road safety.
	A1 Morpeth to Felton
	This scheme will upgrade 13 km of single carriageway to dual carriageway including a new bridge over the Coquet gorge improving road safety and reducing journey times. On completion it will provide a continuous dual carriageway between Newcastle and Alnwick.
	The Highways Agency expect later during this financial year to invite suppliers to bid for development of both of these schemes.
	The programme of other improvements planned to the A1 from the Tyne to the Scottish Borders is listed as follows. All of the schemes are estimated to start during this financial year.
	Scheme
	A1 Guyzance Junction—provision of signing, lining, deceleration lane and enhancement of road surfacing.
	A1 at West Mains Junction—provision of signing, lining, high friction surfacing and modifications to pedestrian traffic island.
	A1 Denwick Interchange—provision of signing and lining.
	A1 Roadside Cottages at Haggerston—scheme being developed for non-motorised users.

Airports

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will remove the safeguarding of land for a possible wide-spaced runway at Gatwick in the event of a decision to proceed with a third runway at Heathrow.

Tony McNulty: The Future of Air Transport White Paper says that land should be safeguarded for a new wide-spaced runway at Gatwick after 2019 in case conditions attached to the construction of a new runway at Heathrow cannot be met. The situation at Gatwick will be reviewed at the stage when any planning application for a new runway at Heathrow has been decided.

Airports

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will list the UK airports he estimates will have the necessary pier ready when the Airbus 380 starts commercial operations;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of piers being prepared for the Airbus 380 at United Kingdom airports.

Tony McNulty: We understand that London Heathrow and Manchester Airports expect to provide full pier-served facilities at the start of A380 commercial operations.
	In addition London Gatwick, London Stansted and Nottingham East Midlands Airports should have the ability to accept the aircraft on stand if required, but do not expect to provide full pier service at the outset.
	The CAA has communicated guidance to all licensed aerodromes on safety requirements for accepting the A380 at the start of its commercial service.

Aviation White Paper

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the legal challenges which have been made in relation to the Aviation White Paper since its publication.

Tony McNulty: The Department is currently subject to legal proceedings against the White Paper by the following parties:
	(i) Essex and Hertfordshire County Councils and Uttlesford, North and East Herts District Councils;
	(ii) London Boroughs of Wandsworth and Hillingdon with individuals representing HACAN, LADACAN and Stop Stansted Expansion;
	(iii) Crawley North East Sector Consortium—Persimmon Homes (South East) Ltd., and Laing Homes Ltd.

Departmental Annual Report

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the targets and achievement rates referred to on page 50 of the Department of Transport Annual Report 2004; and if he will list (a) the local authorities and (b) the targets they have met.

Tony McNulty: Local authorities chose to set a large number of local transport targets in their 2001–06 Local Transport Plans (LTPs)—an average of 30 in each of the 85 plan areas. The 2003 LTP Annual Progress Reports gave an assessment of progress against those targets, where evidence of progress was available. These assessments indicated that around 70 per cent. of those targets were on course to be achieved.
	A full list of targets that are on course to be achieved could be produced only at disproportionate cost. Detailed information from each LTP area is available in the 2003 Annual Progress Reports, which may be obtained from local authorities.

Honours

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much time his Department spent dealing with honours in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by civil service grade.

Tony McNulty: The majority of the work on honours is undertaken by the departmental honours team. Honours work in the Department for Transport is dealt with in a dedicated honours secretariat dealing with honours nominations for both the Department for Transport and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. One EO deals with transport matters full time and a SEO and AO deal with matters arising for both Departments.
	Time spent by senior civil servants is as follows:
	
		
			 Grade Total hours 
		
		
			 Grade 1 6 
			 Grade 2 10 
			 Grade 3 2 
		
	
	Information is not available on time spent on honours related work by departmental staff who are not members of the Department's honours teams or attendees of formal sift meetings.

International Ship and Ports Security Code

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress towards implementation of the International Shipping and Ports Security Code in the United Kingdom.

David Jamieson: The UK is making good progress towards implementation of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code and there is every expectation that all UK flagged ship and port facilities that submit acceptable security plans by the deadlines set, will be ISPS compliant by the 1 July 2004 deadline.

International Ship and Ports Security Code

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend Marine Guidance Note MGN 214 (m) to take account of the enforcement of the International Ship and Port Security Code.

David Jamieson: There are no plans to amend MGN 214, which relates to certificates of competency for radio operators, because it is not effected by the introduction of the ISPS Code.
	However, MGN 241 regarding advice on piracy to UK seafarers will be amended to reflect the ISPS Code, although the scope of revision has not as yet been determined. It is hoped that the ISPS Code will have both a positive impact on improving the maritime industry's resilience to terrorist action and have a secondary benefit of helping to reduce piracy. This is because it will generate increased security awareness and tighten security procedures, both on ships and in ports.

Journey Distances

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys were made in the United Kingdom by each person on average, broken down by journeys of (a) less than a mile, (b) between one and two miles, (c) between two and five miles, (d) between five and 10 miles, (e) between 10 and 25 miles, (f) between 25 and 50 miles, (g) between 50 and 100 miles and (h) more than 100 miles, in (i) 1975–76, (ii) 1985–86, (iii) 1995–96 and (iv) 2001–02; and how many are projected to be made in (A) 2005 and (B) 2010.

Tony McNulty: The National Travel Survey provides the following information for personal travel in Great Britain.
	Figures are not available for the UK and, because of differences in the coverage of the surveys, there may be a discontinuity between 1975–76 and later years. Forecasts of trips by distance travelled will be published in the summer as part of the Transport Strategy Document.
	
		Trips per person per year
		
			  1975–76 1985–86 1995–96 2001–02 
		
		
			 Under one mile 275 335 293 241 
			 One to under two miles 183 187 176 189 
			 Two to under five miles 228 250 270 271 
			 Five to under 10 miles 127 133 157 152 
			 10 to under 25 miles 76 84 107 108 
			 25 to under 50 miles 20 22 29 32 
			 50 to under 100 miles 7 9 13 13 
			 100 miles and over 3 4 7 7 
			 Unknown length 15 — — — 
			 All lengths 935 1,024 1,051 1,013

Rail Infrastructure

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) change in average train length, (b) change in average platform length and (c) change in track capacity has been in the London area since January 2002.

Kim Howells: The information is not available in the form requested.

Rail Service Franchises

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what total costs have been incurred by the Government and Government agencies in the franchising and tendering of passenger rail services since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Between April 2001 and April 2004 the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) has spent £40.7 million on franchise replacements and extensions. This includes the full costs of tendering and implementation. Prior to the SRA's inception in 2001 total spend, in the period between 1998 and April 2001, on franchising was £6.095 million.

Yellow School Buses

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of yellow school buses in easing traffic congestion.

David Jamieson: The Department carried out an evaluation of various small-scale Yellow School Bus schemes in 2003. The evaluation found that well designed schemes do have the potential to reduce car dependency on the school run, but that care needs to be taken to ensure that they are appropriate to local circumstances and, in particular, do not reduce levels of walking or cycling, or undermine the viability of important commercial bus services. I am arranging for copies of the full evaluation report to be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Separately, as part of last year's Local Transport Capital settlement, the Department has provided £18.7 million of funding for a much larger scale Yellow School Bus scheme in West Yorkshire. Once this scheme has been implemented, we will be working closely with West Yorkshire PTE to evaluate the impacts of the scheme including the benefits to road traffic congestion.

DEFENCE

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of applications for export licences for L21 of A1 plastic baton rounds have been rejected; and from what country each application originated.

Nigel Griffiths: I have been asked to reply.
	Details of all export licences issued, broken down by destination, are contained in the UK Strategic Export Controls Annual Report. Plastic baton rounds are covered by the descriptor "crowd control ammunition".
	Since 1999 the DTI has refused two applications for export licences for plastic baton rounds/cartridges. These applications were from companies wishing to export from the UK.
	Information on the percentage of applications for plastic baton rounds refused could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Asbestos

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of (a) the risk of exposure to asbestos to householders from building materials in houses and outbuildings, (b) the level of public awareness of such risks, (c) the expected levels of illness and death of householders exposed to asbestos in the home and (d) the desirability of further measures to raise awareness of such risks amongst the public.

Jane Kennedy: The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for exposure to asbestos where it is within the scope of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
	For the 1974 Act to apply to domestic premises, there would have to be either an associated work activity or undertaking. Therefore, most risks to householders from asbestos in their homes are outside the scope of the Act.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of farm buildings in England in which asbestos may be present.

Jane Kennedy: During the development of the regulatory impact assessment for the new duty to manage asbestos; Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 an assessment was made of the number of premises likely to require an asbestos survey.
	This assessment suggests that approximately 50 per cent. of buildings on farms would need to be inspected for asbestos. The number of agricultural premises requiring a survey under the new regulation was estimated to be 70,000.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the health risks to farmers and their employees arising from (a) working in, (b) repairing and (c) dismantling farm buildings clad with corrugated sheeting made from asbestos cement containing white asbestos.

Jane Kennedy: The health risks will depend on the methods of work employed and the type of material being worked on.
	Asbestos cement, the most common asbestos-containing material on farms, is considered a lower risk than other types of material because it does not easily release asbestos fibres. The controls required when working on asbestos cement are therefore relaxed accordingly. For this reason the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 do not require an HSE licensed contractor to be used for work with asbestos cement.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether farmhouses occupied by farmers or their employees are regarded as workplaces for the purposes of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.

Jane Kennedy: If the building's primary purpose is a residence, farmhouse or other home, whether tied to the farm or rented out, it will normally be classed as domestic premises for the purposes of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations. Therefore regulation 4 (the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises) does not apply to them.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether financial assistance is available to the farming industry to assist in complying with the provisions of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.

Jane Kennedy: There is no specific financial assistance from the Department of Work and Pensions to help farmers comply with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002.
	However, the new duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises is designed to be flexible and compliance with the duty should be costly only where the risk justifies it. For example, asbestos-containing materials should be left in place if they are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advice he has given farmers on alternatives to white asbestos construction products used specifically for the purposes of fire prevention and insulation in farm buildings; and what assessment has been made of the safety of these alternatives.

Jane Kennedy: Centrally the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has consulted with representatives of the farming community, including the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Rural, Agricultural and Allied Workers section of the TGWU, on issues relating to asbestos through the Health in Agriculture Group which was set up in 1997. Guidance on asbestos is also included in the HSE guide to health and safety on farms 'Farmwise'. The NFU have also produced specific guidance on asbestos for their members, upon which HSE commented.
	In order to inform the debate on the banning of white asbestos, and on behalf of the EC's Committee on Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment, HSE commissioned the Institute of Environment and Health to carry out a review comparing the risks from white asbestos with other materials that could be used as alternatives. This concluded that the physical properties of a range of alternative materials led to the conclusion that appropriate substitutes for chrysotile asbestos should be used. The findings were endorsed by the EC committee as well as the Department of Health's committee on carcinogenicity.

Benefits (Bootle)

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many senior citizens in Bootle have benefited from the winter fuel allowance since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of senior citizens in the Bootle constituency who have benefited from a winter fuel payment in each year since 1999–2000 (including provisional figures for 2003–04) is in the table. Information relating to the 1997–98 and 1998–99 winters is not available.
	
		
			  Payments made 
		
		
			 1999–2000 13,275 
			 2000–01 14,425 
			 2001–02 14,330 
			 2002–03 14,270 
			 2003–04 14,230 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.
	2. Please note that the figures for 2003–04 refer only to the main payment run i.e. they do not include the late payment run figures. We estimate that there are approximately 100,000 people in Great Britain paid via late payment runs (0.8 per cent. of all payments). However, since late payment runs are mainly in respect of non-system cases whose claim had not been received by Qualifying Week, they are heavily skewed towards men aged 60.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. samples.

Child Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children were living in poverty in each of the last 25 years; and what estimate he has made of how many children will be living in poverty in each of the next five years.

Chris Pond: Poverty and social exclusion are complex and multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of peoples' lives—including their living standards, health, housing, the quality of their environment and not just low income. "Opportunity for all—fifth annual report", published on 18 September 2003, contains an annex of indicators tracking the Government's performance on tackling poverty and social exclusion across a range of domains much wider than income alone—amounting to around 50 indicators in total, 15 of which are child specific.
	Information showing the proportion and number of children living in low income households going back to 1979 can be found in the publication "Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2002–03".
	Steady progress is being made towards the PSA target to reduce by a quarter the number of children living in low income households by 2004–05. Between 1998–99 and 2002–03 the number of children in low-income households fell by 600,000 after housing costs and by 500,000 before housing costs. The latest data do not include the effect of tax credits introduced in April 2003, nor do they include the increases announced in the 2003 pre-Budget report.
	The document "Measuring child poverty", published in December 2003 outlines the Government's measure of UK child poverty for the long term. This new measure will begin from 2004–05 and will be used to monitor our progress towards meeting our goal of halving the number of children in poverty by 2010.
	All publications listed are available in the Library.

Child Support Agency

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral statement of 11 February to the Work and Pensions Committee on the Child Support Agency reforms, if he will list the problems that are to be (a) identified and (b) remedied by the recovery programme.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 1 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 11 February to the Work and Pensions Committee on the Child Support Agency reforms, if he will list the problems that are to be (a) identified and (b) remedied by the recovery programme.
	EDS are currently working to remedy four main groups of problems in relation to the computer service that they are contracted to provide to the Child Support Agency. These cover issues at the interface between the new Child Support system and existing Departmental systems (primarily those providing computer support for Income Support and Jobseeker Allowance), defects in the underlying application software, issues within the work management and telephony components and issues within the underlying system infrastructure (that will be required to support the greatly increased number of cases to be held on the system following the migration of cases from the existing computer system). EDS indicated at the Work and Pensions Select Committee hearing on 29 March that they are intending to complete this remedial work by October this year.

Child Support Agency

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many absent parents paid maintenance to the Child Support Agency for their children which because of computer problems was not paid to the parent with care (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months ago; and what the figure is for the most recent period for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Frank Field, dated 1 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many absent parents paid maintenance to the Child Support Agency for their children, which because of computer problems, was not paid to the parent with care (a) three, (b) six, (c) nine and (d) 12 months ago; and what the figure is for the most recent period for which figures are available.
	I do not have the information that you seek. However, I can say that in the period 3 March 2003 to 29 April 2004, nearly 600,000 payments were made automatically by the new computer system to parents with care. The average period of time between the payments being received from the non-resident parent and paid to the parent with care was well within one month. In the same period 3,544 payments were made manually because of system difficulties. We estimate that the average time from receipt from the non-resident parent to payment to the parent with care for these cases was also within one month.

Child Support Agency

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that the Child Support Agency resolves the case of (a) Mr. Alan Jones of Bargoed, (b) Ms Sandra Roberts of Caerphilly and (c) Ms Angela Lawford of Nelson without further delay.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Wayne David, dated 1 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that the Child Support Agency resolves the case of (a) Mr. Alan Jones of Bargoed, (b) Ms Sandra Roberts of Caerphilly and (c) Ms Angela Lawford of Nelson without further delay.
	As individual cases are confidential, I will write to you separately about each of these cases. This is in line with paragraph 12, part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Child Support Agency

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many changes his Department sought to the design of the new Child Support Agency IT system.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Willetts, dated 1 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many changes his Department sought to the design of the new Child Support Agency IT system.
	Under the terms of the Department's Private Finance Initiative based contract with EDS, the Agency is responsible for specifying its requirements leaving detailed design development and testing to EDS. I am therefore unable to provide the information you require. The Department's requirement is based on the 'operational vision for Child Support Reform' that was published in August 2000 and is available in the library of the House of Commons. There have been no material changes to this.

Child Support Agency

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases there are nil assessments in respect of Child Support Agency cases under (a) the old system and (b) the new system; and for what reasons no payment is required rather than a minimum payment.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Kidney, dated 1 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary question abut the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in how many cases there are nil assessments in respect of Child Support Agency cases under (a) the old system and (b) the new system; and for what reasons no payment is required rather than a minimum payment.
	In the last full year of the 'old system' (2002/3) we received around 325,000 maintenance applications and in the same year we made around 38,000 assessments that resulted in a nil payment required. In the first year of the new system we received over 321,000 applications. In the same period we made around 12,000 calculations that resulted in a nil payment required.
	Under the new arrangements a nil calculation rather than a minimum payment calculation can arise where the non-resident parent is:
	A student;
	A child within the meaning of section 55 of the Act—this generally means a child under 16 or under 19 and in full time non advanced education or a child under 18 in certain prescribed conditions;
	A prisoner;
	A person who is 16 or 17 years old and who is either, in receipt of income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance or is a member of a couple and their partner is in receipt of income support or income based jobseeker's allowance;
	A person receiving an allowance in respect of work-based training for young people, or in Scotland, Skillseekers training;
	A person who is resident in a care home or an independent hospital or is being provided with a care home service or an independent health care service and who is in receipt of certain specified pensions, benefits or allowances or who has the whole or part of the cost of his accommodation met by a local authority;
	A patient in hospital who is in receipt of income support or state pension credit and has been an in-patient for more than 52 weeks;
	A person in hospital in receipt of a specified benefit which has been reduced after 52 weeks in hospital;
	A person who would be liable to pay the flat rate but his net weekly income, inclusive of any prescribed benefit pension or allowance and any prescribed benefit that he or his partner receive, is less than £5.00 per week; and
	A person who would be liable to pay the flat-rate, because they or their partner are in receipt of a prescribed benefit, but they have shared care of the qualifying child for at least 52 nights per year.

Child Support Agency

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Child Support Agency has paid in redress payments in each year since it was set up.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Kidney, dated 1 June 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Child Support Agency has paid in redress payments in each year since it was set up.
	No audited figures are available for the year to 31 March 1994. In years that followed the Agency has paid the following amounts by way of redress:
	
		
			 Year to 31 March Amount (£) 
		
		
			 1995 173,000 
			 1996 174,000 
			 1997 656,000 
			 1998 1,101,000 
			 1999 4,351,000 
			 2000 3,075,000 
			 2001 3,053,000 
			 2002 2,590,000 
			 2003 2,478,000

Child Support Agency

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the status is of the Department's contract with EDS for the Child Support Agency's new computer system; what changes have been made to the contractual terms; and what compensation he has secured from EDS.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Kidney, dated 1 June 2004
	I reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the current status is of the Department's contract with EDS for the Child Support Agency's new computer system; what changes have been made to the contractual terms; and what compensation he has secured from EDS.
	The contract between the Department and EDS remains in effect. The last significant change to the terms of this contract was made in December 2002. In his Child Support Reform Statement to the House on 27 January 2003, the Secretary of State reported as follows:
	"The system has proved to be more complex than had been originally thought and we have reached a negotiated agreement with EDS to share these costs, with them meeting their share under the contract. The amount the Government will pay has risen by around 7% over the term of the contract.
	"While any extra costs are unwelcome, an increase on this scale is not at all unusual for a complex project of this kind and is justified in order to deliver this important reform."
	Any further changes to the contract will be discussed with EDS as necessary, and such discussions would consider the question of compensation, as appropriate.

Council Tax Benefit

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to make available information about council tax benefit eligibility during pension credit assessments.

Malcolm Wicks: The Pension Service actively promotes awareness of council tax benefit. People who apply for pension credit using the telephone application line are advised that they might be able to receive help with their council tax and are asked whether they would like to be sent a form. Similar questions about council tax benefit are included in the paper application form for pension credit. The local service of the Pension Service promotes awareness at the local level and will help people fill in their council tax benefit claim form. We are considering how to streamline the process further and how the Pension Service can play a greater role in maximising pensioners' income through council tax benefit take-up.

Disability Discrimination Act (Advertising)

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department plans to spend on advertising the introduction of new requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Maria Eagle: The current forecasted expenditure for advertising media to publicise the introduction of the October 2004 duties of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is £856,662. This advertising is part of a programme of wider communications activity, the total cost of which is forecasted to be £2,545,570.

Compensation Payments

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many compensation payments were made to members of the public by his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997–98, broken down by (a) amount paid and (b) reason for payment.

Chris Pond: The Department for Work and Pensions operates a discretionary, non-statutory scheme providing financial redress for maladministration. Since 1997 financial redress made by the Department and its Agencies have been authorised in the categories set out in the following tables.
	(a) Amount of financial redress authorised by category 1997–98 to 2002–03
	
		£000
		
			 Type of payment 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Loss of Statutory Entitlement 2,124 1,813 1,748 2,035 2,219 4,039 
			 Actual Financial Loss 1,400 4,215 2,700 2,290 2,172 1,660 
			 Compensation for Delay 1,938 1,541 4,112 5,769 6,537 2,575 
			 Consolatory 110 664 575 758 835 773 
		
	
	(b) Number of payments authorised by category 1997–98 to 2002–03
	
		
			 Type of payment 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Loss of Statutory Entitlement 3,080 1,882 1,660 3,233 2,912 2,764 
			 Actual Financial Loss 4,741 8,782 8,143 7,199 8,243 7,607 
			 Compensation for Delay 5,371 6,347 220,418 16,646 39,620 10,955 
			 Consolatory 497 4,645 5,211 7,553 9,811 9,725 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001. Figures for earlier years relate to the former Department of Social Security.
	2. Figures for amounts paid are rounded to the nearest thousand.
	3. Loss of statutory entitlement may occur where an individual has lost benefit or some other entitlement as a result of official error.
	4. Payments in respect of actual financial loss are made to recompense individuals who have suffered some financial loss or incurred expenses or as a direct result of maladministration.
	5. Payments for delay are made in the form of interest and are intended to restore the value of payments that have been excessively or unreasonably delayed.
	6. Consolatory payments are made where individuals have suffered gross inconvenience, gross embarrassment or severe distress in consequence of maladministration.

Free Television Licences (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Warrington North are receiving free television licences.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available in the format requested.
	The number of households with at least one resident aged 75 or over in the Warrington North parliamentary constituency is 4,815. These households would therefore be eligible to receive a free TV licence.
	Notes
	1. Number is rounded to the nearest 5. 2. Any residence found to have four or more occupants is not included in these figures as it is assumed to be a Residential Care or Nursing Home. 3. Parliamentary constituencies have been allocated using the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source
	IAD Information Centre, WFP data Winter 2003–04 100 per cent. sample.

Passive Smoking (Entertainment Industry)

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the health and safety impact of passive smoking on the health of employees in the entertainment industry; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: None. The Government's Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) is currently undertaking a review of the scientific evidence generated since 1998 on the ill health effects of second-hand smoking. The findings of that review are expected shortly.
	All employers, including those in the entertainment industry, have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. This duty extends to risks arising from second-hand smoking. Free guidance published by the Health and Safety Executive provides advice to employers on introducing effective smoking policies in the workplace. The guidance recommends that policies should give priority to the needs of non-smokers who do not wish to breathe tobacco smoke.

Pension Credit (Mortgage Assistance)

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which mortgage lenders' interest rates his Department takes into account when it sets the standard interest rate for mortgage assistance under pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is as follows:
	Nationwide
	Britannia
	Yorkshire
	Portman
	Coventry
	Skipton
	Chelsea
	Leeds and Holbeck
	Derbyshire
	West Bromwich
	Norwich and Peterborough
	Cheshire
	Principality
	Newcastle
	Dunfermline
	Nottingham
	Stroud and Swindon
	Cumberland
	Lambeth
	Scarborough
	National Counties
	Leek United
	Furness
	Notes:
	1. Information provided to DWP in May 2004. 2. The standard interest rate is calculated by the Financial Services Authority and published monthly by the Office for National Statistics in "Financial Statistics", Table 7.1L

Pensioners

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were living in poverty in each of the last 25 years.

Malcolm Wicks: Poverty and social exclusion are complex and multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of peoples' lives—including their living standards, health, housing, the quality of their environment and not just low income. The fifth annual "Opportunity for All" report (Cm 5956) sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and presents information on the indicators used to measure progress against this strategy.
	Between 1979 and 1996, there was growing inequality between the richest and poorest pensioners. Our efforts since 1997 ensure that Government money is targeted and as a result income growth for pensioners has been much more evenly spread.
	By 2002–03, there were 1.8 million fewer pensioners in absolute low income measured against a 1996–97 baseline. Over the same period the number of pensioners in relative low income (on an after housing costs basis) has fallen by half a million. These figures are for 2002–03 and so do not yet reflect the effects of the pension credit.
	Further information showing the proportion and number of pensioners living in low income households going back to 1979 can be found in the publication, "Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2002–03", a copy of which can be found in the Library.
	Notes:
	1. The estimates are taken from the Department for Work and Pensions' publication, "Households Below Average Income" (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. There is no consistent time series using a single data source over the last 25 years for the number of pensioners below low income thresholds. A consistent time series is only available from 1994–95. 2. Absolute low income in the answer is measured using the number of pensioners living in households with equivalised incomes less than 60 per cent. of the 1996–97 median income held constant in real terms using the 'before housing costs' income measure reported in HBAI. 3. '60 per cent. of median' is the most commonly used measure of low income and is linked with the PSA target on child poverty. HBAI also classifies households in low income using differing fractions of mean and median income, and reports figures both on a before and after housing costs basis. 4. The income measure used is mean weekly net (disposable) equivalised household income, consistent with HBAI conventions. Income is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household, and is net of income tax, national insurance contributions and council tax.

Pensioners

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of pensioners aged over 80 years receive the age addition to their pension.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is that there are 2,574,600 State Pension recipients aged 80 and over who are also in receipt of the age addition. This represents 95.3 per cent. of all State Pension recipients over the age of 80.
	Note
	Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample taken from the Pension Strategy Computer System as at 30 September 2003.

Public Bodies

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  on what date each of the public bodies that come under the remit of his Department were established;
	(2)  if he will list the reports received by his Department from public bodies in each of the last seven years.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table:
	
		
			 Body Date established Reports received by the Department 1997–2004(1) 
		
		
			 Disability Employment Advisory Committee August 2002 First Annual Report due later this year 
			 Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board September 1991 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Disability Rights Commission(2) July 1999 (operational from April 2000) Annual Report received for each year since 2001 Additional Reports 2003 Disability Equality: Making it Happen—First Review of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 
			 Health and Safety Commission(3) July 1974 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Health and Safety Executive July 1974 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Industrial Injuries Advisory Council 1946 (operational from July 1948) Annual Report received each year since 1998 Additional Reports 1999 Diseases Induced by Ionising and Non-ionising Radiation Additional Reports 2000 Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema in Underground Coal Miners Additional Reports 2002 Conditions due to Chemical Agents Occupational Deafness Additional Reports 2003 Conditions due to Biological Agents Osteoarthritis of the Hip The Neurobehavioral Effects of Chronic Exposure to Organic Solvents Additional Reports 2004 Stress at Work as a Prescribed Disease and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder 
			 National Employment Panel October 2001 (initially established as the New Deal Task Force in July 1997) First Annual Report due later this year Additional Reports—New Deal Task Force 1998 Meeting the Needs of Disadvantaged Young People Lasting Value: Recommendations for Increasing Retention Within the New Deal Additional Reports—New Deal Task Force 1999 Design for Success: Recommendations for Engaging Sheffield Employers in the New Deal Bridges to Work: New Directions for Intermediaries London Employers' Coalition: First Anniversary Report Going Public: Opening up New Deal Opportunities in the Public Sector Additional Reports— New Deal Task Force 2000 Improving the Employment Prospects of Low Income Job Seekers (main report) Improving the Employment Prospects of Low Income Job Seekers (case studies) London Employers' Coalition: Second Annual Report Additional Reports—New Deal Task Force 2001 Secure Transitions: Building on the Success of the New Deal for Lone Parents Business on Board: Recommendations for Increasing Employer Engagement in New Deal Promising Practice Guide to New Deal Recruitment in the NHS in London Additional Reports— New Deal Task Force 2002 London Employer Coalition Annual Report 2001–02 Tyneside Employer Coalition New Deal Additional Reports—National Employment Panel 2002 Contact Centre—a Good Call: Employment Opportunities in the Contact Centre Additional Reports—National Employment Panel 2003 Tyne and Wear Employer Coalition Annual Report 2002 London Employer Coalition: Annual Report 2002–03 Work Works: the Final Report of the NEP Steering Group on Lone Parents The NEP Employer Coalitions: Engaging Local Employers in Welfare to Work Additional Reports—National Employment Panel 2004 Tyne and Wear Employer Coalition Annual Report 2003 South Yorkshire Employment Coalition Annual Report: Putting You in the Picture 2003 London Employer Coalition: Annual Report 2003–04 A New Deal for All: Report of the NEP Working Group on New Deal 25+ SME Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth Report: Pilot Project Independent Benchmark Report Skills: Welfare to Workforce Development Ambition Stocktake: An Interim Report on the Development and Progress of the Ambition Initiative Fair Cities: Employer Lead Efforts that Produce Results for Ethnic Minorities NEP: Leading Change, Changing Lives Small Employers, Big Opportunities: Practical No-nonsense Advice on How to do Better Business with Small Employers 
			 Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority April 1996 (operational from April 1997) Annual Report received for each year 
			 Pensions Compensation Board April 1997 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Pensions Ombudsman April 1991 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Remploy Ltd.(4) 1946 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Social Security November 1980 Annual Report received for each year 
			 Advisory Committee  Additional Reports 1997 The Draft Social Security (Incapacity for Work and Severe Disablement Allowance) Amendment Regulations 1997 The Social Security (Social Fund and Claims and Payments) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1997 The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 1997 The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1997 The Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 Additional Reports 1998 The Jobseeker's Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 1998 The Social Security Contributions Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1998 Additional Reports 1999 The Social Security (Contributions) Amendment Regulations 1999 The Jobseeker's Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2000 The Housing Benefit (General) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 1999 Additional Reports 2000 The Draft Social Security Amendment (Students) Regulations 2000 Additional Reports 2001 The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Amendment Regulations 2001 The Draft Social Security (Literacy etc. Skills Training Pilot) Regulations 2001 Additional Reports 2002 The Social Security (Disability Living Allowance) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 Additional Reports 2003 The Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 2003 The Housing Benefit (General) (Local Housing Allowance) Amendment Regulations 2003 The (draft) Social Security (Incapacity Benefit Work-focused Interviews) Regulations 2003 Additional Reports 2004 The Draft Social Security (Basic Skills Training Pilot) Regulations 2004 The Social Security (Habitual Residence) Amendment Regulations 2004 
		
	
	(1) The Department for Work and Pensions was formed from the former Department of Social Security and the Employment Service following machinery of government changes in July 2001.
	(2) The Disability Rights Commission was previously sponsored by the Department for Education and Employment—now the Department for Education and Skills. Sponsorship passed to the Department for Work and Pensions following machinery of government changes in July 2001.
	(3) The Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive were previously sponsored by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions—now the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Transport. Sponsorship passed to the Department for Work and Pensions following machinery of government changes in July 2002.
	(4) Remploy Ltd. was previously sponsored by the Department for Education and Employment—now the Department for Education and Skills. Sponsorship passed to the Department for Work and Pensions following machinery of government changes in July 2001.

State Pensions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on state pensions in each of the past 25 years, expressed in real terms.

Malcolm Wicks: The information has been placed in the Library.

Winter Fuel Allowance (Warrington)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Warrington North are receiving the winter fuel allowance; and how many of those in receipt of the allowance qualify for the higher rate of allowance payable to the over 80s.

Malcolm Wicks: For winter 2003–04 17,230 pensioners in the Warrington North constituency received Winter Fuel Payments. Of those 3,105 were aged 80 or over and have received the higher rate.
	Notes
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5. 2. Figures quoted are the latest available based on payments made.
	Source
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

TREASURY

Exports (Military Equipment)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of visible exports was accounted for by identified military equipment, including aerospace equipment, in each year from 1999 to 2003.

John Healey: Figures for total visible exports are published by HM Customs and Excise in 'Overseas Trade Statistics'. Data on identified aerospace and other military equipment are published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in their Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls. Copies of these documents are available in the Library of the House.
	The percentage of visible exports accounted for by identified military equipment, including aerospace equipment, for the years 1999 to 2002 are shown in the following table. Figures for 2003 are not yet available.
	
		Identified Military Equipment as a proportion of all exports(5)
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1999 0.6 
			 2000 0.8 
			 2001 0.8 
			 2002 0.5 
		
	
	(5) Including trade between EU member states.
	Source:
	Overseas Trade Statistics, HMCE; Strategic Export Controls-Annual Report, FCO

Gun Trafficking

Diane Abbott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reassess procedures for clearance of parcels entering the United Kingdom via private companies.

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise operate import controls at UK ports of entry and international postal depots for goods and packages entering the UK from outside the European Union, within the framework of EU customs procedures established by agreement with our European partners.
	The European Commission is currently reviewing the customs declaration procedures for the import and export of small consignments, and has issued a proposal intended to align more closely the customs procedures currently used by express couriers and the Royal Mail. Customs are consulting with both private and national carriers about the implications of these proposals.

Gershon Review

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2004, Official Report, column 1677W, on the Gershon Review, when he expects the first reductions in the number of civil servants to be made as a result of the Gershon Review.

John Healey: All Departments continue to work closely with Sir Peter Gershon to prepare detailed efficiency proposals for consideration in the 2004 Spending Review. Departments' agreed efficiency targets, including details of any workforce reductions, will be published in parallel with the Spending Review settlement.

GEC/BAE/Govan Shipyard

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what (a) his and (b) his officials' involvement was in informal and oral approaches made to GEC over the purchase of Govan shipyard in 1999;
	(2)  what meetings took place between (a) Mr. Ed Miliband and (b) Treasury officials and Mr. Martin Sixsmith in 1999; and what the dates of the meetings were;
	(3)  what briefings he gave in 1999 on the GEC interest in the Govan shipyard; and what the dates of the briefings were;
	(4)  what briefings his Department gave in 1999 on the GEC interest in the Govan shipyard;
	(5)  on what date his Department received the minutes of the meeting between Mr. George Simpson of GEC and the Prime Minister to discuss the merger of BAE and GEC;
	(6)  what meetings Treasury officials had with the taskforce chaired by Sir Gavin Laird set up by the Government to look for potential buyers for the Govan shipyard in 1999; and what the dates of the meetings were;
	(7)  what meetings his Department had with Sir Gavin Laird to discuss the future of the Govan shipyard in 1999; and on what dates;
	(8)  on which dates in 1999 he met Mr. George Simpson of GEC; if he will publish minutes of the meetings; and if he will list the attendees at those meetings;
	(9)  what communications (a) he and (b) his representatives and advisers had with GEC in 1999 over (i) the proposed merger of BAE-GEC and (ii) Govan shipyard; and if he will publish the communications;
	(10)  what meetings (a) his Department and (b) its representatives and advisers had with the management of Govan/Kvaerner to discuss the future of the Govan shipyard in 1999;
	(11)  what communications (a) he and (b) his representatives and advisers had with Kvaerner, their representatives and advisers over the proposed closure of the Govan shipyard in 1999; and if he will publish the communications;
	(12)  what role (a) he and (b) his representatives, and advisers had in the negotiations over the future of Govan in 1999.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which he received from the Prime Minister on 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1522W.

GEC/BAE/Govan Shipyard

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's involvement was in approving the GEC-BAE merger in 1999.

John Healey: The decision was made by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in his capacity set out in the Fair Trading Act 1973.

Income Tax

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue produced by an additional one pence on the rate of income tax in each London borough and metropolitan authority.

Dawn Primarolo: The requested information is given in the table:
	
		Additional full-year yield by an additional one pence on the starting, basic and higher rate of income tax(6) in London boroughs and metropolitan districts in 2001–02 
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 London Borough 
			 City of London 8.9 
			 Barking and Dagenham 7.1 
			 Barnet 35.6 
			 Bexley 17.7 
			 Brent 18.6 
			 Bromley 33.3 
			 Camden 33.6 
			 Croydon 26.0 
			 Ealing 26.1 
			 Enfield 21.1 
			 Greenwich 16.0 
			 Hackney 11.6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 24.4 
			 Haringey 18.7 
			 Harrow 19.5 
			 Havering 17.7 
			 Hillingdon 19.3 
			 Hounslow 17.5 
			 Islington 21.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 49.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 15.8 
			 Lambeth 22.4 
			 Lewisham 17.5 
			 Merton 20.6 
			 Newham 10.6 
			 Redbridge 20.4 
			 Richmond upon Thames 30.5 
			 Southwark 18.6 
			 Sutton 16.2 
			 Tower Hamlets 17.6 
			 Waltham Forest 14.1 
			 Wandsworth 40.1 
			 Westminster 42.0 
			 Greater Manchester 
			 Bolton 14.6 
			 Bury 11.0 
			 Manchester 16.7 
			 Oldham 10.8 
			 Rochdale 9.7 
			 Salford 11.8 
			 Stockport 21.2 
			 Tameside 10.6 
			 Trafford 18.2 
			 Wigan 16.5 
			 Merseyside 
			 Knowsley 6.1 
			 Liverpool 19.7 
			 St. Helens 10.2 
			 Sefton 16.9 
			 Wirral 19.9 
			 South Yorkshire 
			 Barnsley 10.5 
			 Doncaster 15.5 
			 Rotherham 14.2 
			 Sheffield 28.7 
			 Tyne and Wear 
			 Gateshead 9.9 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 15.0 
			 North Tyneside 10.8 
			 South Tyneside 6.7 
			 Sunderland 13.2 
			 West Midlands 
			 Birmingham 48.3 
			 Coventry 16.0 
			 Dudley 16.5 
			 Sandwell 12.2 
			 Solihull 18.4 
			 Walsall 11.9 
			 Wolverhampton 11.4 
			 West Yorkshire 
			 Bradford 26.6 
			 Calderdale 13.4 
			 Kirklees 23.2 
			 Leeds 44.4 
			 Wakefield 17.5 
		
	
	(6) The 'savers' and dividends tax rates have been left unchanged for this analysis.
	Estimates are based upon the 2001–02 Survey of Personal Incomes. The effects of the illustrative changes can be scaled up or down over a reasonably wide range. The results exclude any behavioural response to the tax change.

Income Tax

Joan Humble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior citizens in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood qualified for the 10p rate of income tax in each year since its introduction.

Dawn Primarolo: All income taxpayers benefit from the 10p starting rate. The Survey of Personal Incomes estimates there are about 9,000 and 10,000 state retirement pension age taxpayers in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency in 2000–01 and 2001–02 respectively. However, year on year comparisons should be treated with caution because of sampling variation. Figures for 1999–2000 are currently not available.

Repairs (VAT)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce the level of VAT on repairs and maintenance to five per cent.

John Healey: EU Member States are permitted to introduce reduced rates of VAT only on a prescribed list of goods and services set out in Annex H of the EC Sixth VAT Directive. A review of this list is currently underway and we have been negotiating hard for the inclusion of repairs to listed places of worship.
	The current list includes a category for the "supply, construction, renovation and alteration of housing provided as part of a social policy". The Government have used this provision to target relief at areas of specific need, such as certain residential conversions and the renovation of housing that has been empty for more than three years.
	The European Commission has made proposals to clarify the housing provision by removing the distinction that housing should be provided as part of a social policy and by specifying the inclusion of the repair and maintenance of housing. If that proposal were agreed, we would examine the potential costs and benefits of applying a wider relief in the UK, focusing on those measures which offer the best targeted and most efficient support for our key social objectives.

Staffing (Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise)

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many staff were employed by (a) the Inland Revenue and (b) HM Customs and Excise at 24 May;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 6 May 2004, Official Report, column 1737W, on efficiency gains, what the baseline employment figures in (a) the Inland Revenue and (b) HM Customs and Excise are for the job reductions listed.

John Healey: The latest available employment figures for the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise are published in table 5.2 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2004 (Cm 6201).

Staffing (Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise)

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with Mr. David Varney regarding the timescale for the (a) commencement and (b) completion of the reduction of 14,000 civil servants in the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise; and what the outcome of those discussions was;
	(2)  what targets he has given Mr. David Varney for the (a) commencement and (b) completion of the reduction of 14,000 civil servants in the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 6 May 2004, Official Report, column 1737W, on efficiency gains, when he expects the first of these job reductions to be made.

John Healey: Detailed plans for the realisation of efficiency savings are under discussion and agreed efficiency targets will be announced in Spending Review 2004.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business (Blackpool and Fleetwood)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government have taken to help small businesses in Blackpool North and Fleetwood since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: The Business Link Operator for North and West Lancashire has provided assistance to 2,499 enterprises in the Blackpool and Fylde constituency since 2001. Statistics are not available specifically for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood. The Small Business Service was set up as an agency of the Department of Trade and Industry in April 2000. Contracts were exchanged with a national network of 45 Business Link Operators (seven in the North West) to provide Business Support to small and medium sized enterprises from April 2001. Before this date Government Support to business was provided through Training and Enterprise Councils and the SBS does not have access to these data.
	The type of assistance received from the Business Link include, Pre-startups, start-ups, IT support, Investors in People, International and Business Support.
	Under the Research and Development Scheme (R and D) one company has received offers of grant with a total value of £30,000, in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency since 1997.
	Under the Enterprise Grant Scheme (EGS) one company has received offers of grant with a total of £10,000, in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency since 1997.

Business Regulation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2004, Official Report, column 1178W, on business regulation, how many of the regulatory impact assessments referred to have since been placed in the Library, including their reference numbers.

Nigel Griffiths: Six in relation to DTI.
	
		
			 Reference number Title 
		
		
			 RIA 04/005 The Companies Act 1985 (Accounts of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Audit Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 1. The Audit Exemption Threshold 
			 RIA 04/006 The Companies Act 1985 (Accounts of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Audit Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 2. The Thresholds defining Small and Medium-Sized Companies 
			 RIA 04/008 The Patents Act 1977 (Amendment) Bill 
			 RIA 04/011 Revision of Price Marking Order 1999 
			 RIA 04/013 Statutory Dispute Resolution Procedures 
			 RIA 04/015 The Regulatory Reform (Sunday Trading) Order 2004

Coal Compensation Schemes

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Department's policy is on a defined claimant's representative receiving a fee for passing on a claim to another solicitor in coal compensation cases.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The Government have separately funded over £353 million for solicitor's fees to ensure that no miner has to lose any compensation. The professional conduct of solicitors is a matter for the Law Society.

Correspondence

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she plans to take to improve the response rate of (a) Ministers in her Department and (b) chief executives of agencies for which she is responsible to correspondence from hon. Members and peers.

Patricia Hewitt: The correspondence performance of Agencies for which I am responsible is already excellent.
	My officials are introducing new management and other systems to improve the overall response rate.

Early Retirement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in her Department took early retirement, and at what total cost, in the last financial year.

Patricia Hewitt: 27 employees took early retirement costing £1,033,259.

Employers (Good Practice)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the proportion of employers who (a) fail to comply with legislation and (b) use good practice regarding (i) equality of opportunity and (ii) human rights.

Patricia Hewitt: There are no formal assessments of the above compliance levels. As far as equality for opportunity is concerned, we would need to obtain information from Employment Tribunals and the Courts which could be done only at disproportionate cost and would not provide a complete picture.
	Nevertheless, the Government are committed to ensuring compliance across the equality agenda, and, in respect of the public sector or public sector services, compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998. Many of our leading businesses already recognise the benefits of equality of opportunity in the workplace and we are working with them to disseminate good practice more widely. There are also many examples of good practice in the public sector. We expect the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights to take a prominent role in furthering the adoption of good practice in the private and public sectors.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the projected budget is of the new Equality and Human Rights Commission in its first year of operation.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government are committed to ensuring that the CEHR is properly and adequately resourced. Funding for the CEHR will be addressed in line with the Government process for financial planning for the next three years that is currently under way.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the staffing levels that will be required by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Patricia Hewitt: No assessment has been made as to projected staffing levels in the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights. This will be a matter to be addressed as planning for the CEHR progresses.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account is taken of offset deals when deciding (a) whether and (b) to what extent Export Credits Guarantee Department support should be offered in defence contracts.

Mike O'Brien: Offset transactions normally take the form of procuring exports from or investments in the overseas' purchaser's country. These are entirely commercial arrangements between the contractor and the overseas purchaser and would not influence ECGD's decision on support for a defence, or any other, contract.
	ECGD's policy on support for specific transactions falling within a UK company's offset obligations is covered in a previous answer on 23 May 2002, Official Report, column 479W.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Export Credits Guarantee Department support was given to (a) defence and (b) aerospace exports to the Czech Republic in the five years up to 31 March.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Flue Gas Desulphurised Power Stations

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action has been taken against social dumping by Belgian contractors of EDF in the engineering construction of new flue gas desulphurised power stations in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I cannot comment on individual commercial contracts. Provided that statutory minima are met, terms and conditions of employment are a matter for negotiation and agreement between employers and employees (or their representatives) and are not a matter for Government intervention. All employees legally working in the UK, whether temporary or permanently, are entitled to statutory minimum terms and conditions of employment such as the national minimum wage and EDF has confirmed to me that its contracts fully reflect this.

Imports

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the United Kingdom's (a) visible and (b) invisible imports came from the European Union in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what their value was.

Mike O'Brien: According to figures published by the Office for National Statistics in the Balance of Payments first release on 26 March 2004, in 2003 UK imports of goods from the European Union were worth £129 billion, representing 55 per cent. of the total. Imports of services were worth £35 billion, representing 48 per cent. of the total.

Imports

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the United Kingdom's (a) visible and (b) invisible exports went to the European Union in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what their value was.

Mike O'Brien: According to figures published by the Office for National Statistics in the Balance of Payments first release on 26 March 2004, in 2003 UK exports of goods to the European Union were worth £105 billion, representing 56 per cent. of the total. Exports of services were worth £32 billion, representing 36 per cent. of the total.

National Minimum Wage

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 1 April 2004, Official Report, columns 1592–94W, on the National Minimum Wage, for what average length of time compliance officers identified the National Minimum Wage was being underpaid in 2003–04.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 18 May 2004
	This information is not readily available at the moment. However, the Inland Revenue, who enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the DTI, are about to undertake a sampling exercise on successful cases and we will write to the hon. Member with further details when the exercise has been completed at the end of June.

Nuclear Energy

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement about progress made on nuclear fusion research; and what Q ratio of input energy to output has been achieved.

Stephen Timms: The Joint European Torus (JET) based at Culham in Oxfordshire has achieved an input energy to output ratio of Q=l. An international partnership has come together to build the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) which is expected to achieve a ratio of Q=10 and beyond.

Nuclear Energy

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on (a) matters discussed and (b) agreements made in respect of nuclear power during the recent visit of the Minister for Energy, E-Commerce and Postal Services to Japan; and if she will place in the Library copies of papers or documents provided to (i) the Japanese nuclear industry and (ii) Japanese Government officials during his visit.

Stephen Timms: During my recent visit to Japan I held wide-ranging discussions on telecommunications and energy issues, including nuclear and BNFL related issues with Japanese interlocutors. I also outlined the changes to the UK nuclear industry described in the Energy Bill.
	The nuclear power issues discussed were designed to improve understanding between the UK and Japan and did not give rise to any agreements between our two countries. No papers or documents were provided to either the Japanese nuclear industry or to the Japanese Government.

Public Telephone Boxes

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what public consultation BT is obliged to undertake before it removes public telephone boxes; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom) as independent regulator. Accordingly, my officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Regulatory Impact Unit

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the European Union Directives her Department was responsible for implementing since 1997 that were (a) submitted to and (b) discussed by the Regulatory Impact Unit; and whether the proposed method of implementation was identified as going beyond the minimum necessary to comply with the European Directive and represented over-implementation in each case.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The Department takes account of Cabinet Office guidance in relation to implementation of European directives and holds discussions with the Regulatory Impact Unit during the process of policy development. However records of these discussions are not held centrally.

Regulatory Reform Action Plan

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the measures in the Regulatory Reform Action plan that relate to small businesses.

Nigel Griffiths: The small business friendly measures are highlighted in the Regulatory Reform Action Plan which is available from the Libraries of the House or online at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/regulation/rrap/index.asp.

Research and Development

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to develop a national policy and strategy for science, engineering and technology exploitation.

Patricia Hewitt: The recent Innovation Report highlighted the challenge the UK still faces in exploiting its significant science, engineering and technology achievements. In order to rise to this challenge the DTI are leading in the development of a national Technology Strategy to stimulate business demand for new and emerging technologies.
	The Strategy will identify technology priorities critical to the growth of the UK economy, matching business needs with what science can achieve. Government and its agencies will use the Strategy to steer investment in UK and European R and D programmes. It will also inform the future development of wider Government activities, such as innovative public procurement.
	The Strategy also sits alongside a national policy to address the gender imbalance in science and technology, which included the announcement of a £1.5 million support package. Among other initiatives, this has provided a new science resource centre, officially opening in September 2004, that will encourage female scientists to return to science and more women to pursue successful scientific careers.
	This will complement our existing activities in facilitating the exploitation of the science and engineering base through funding to support knowledge transfer activities in Higher Education Institutes (the Higher Education Innovation Fund) and Public Sector Research Establishments (the Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund).

Royal Mail

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of first class letters posted in East Riding of Yorkshire met the Royal Mail's on-time delivery target in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Performance against delivery targets is an operational matter for the Royal Mail Group and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Sellafield

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the primary use is of each of the facilities B1 to B100 at BNFL's Sellafield site; whether their status is (a) operational, (b) closed pending clean-up, (c) cleaned-up pending decommissioning, (d) decommissioned, (e) demolished and (f) other; and for those which are planned to be decommissioned, what estimated timescale has been provided by BNFL for their decommissioning.

Stephen Timms: Information that permits buildings within BNFL's Sellafield site to be located by function is considered to be a matter of national security. It is not Government policy to disclose such information, which could potentially be of use to terrorists. However this policy does not apply to those buildings which are cleaned-up pending decommissioning or have already been decommissioned or demolished. Information on BNFL buildings falling within these categories is as follows:
	
		
			FacilityPrimary useStatus Estimated decommissioning start date (where available) 
		
		
			 B6.1 Decommissioning Office Demolished — 
			 B20 Gate House and Vehicle Search Demolished — 
			 B24 Police Lodge Demolished — 
			 B29.3 Maintenance Workshop Demolished — 
			 B30.1 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B30.2 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B32 Bus Park North Gate Demolished — 
			 B80.3 Temporary Offices Demolished — 
			 B80.4 Temporary Offices Demolished — 
			 B80.5 Temporary Offices Demolished — 
			 B80.6 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.7 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.8 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.9 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.10 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.11 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.12 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B80.13 Portable Office Demolished — 
			 B81 Police Lodge Demolished — 
			 B89 Police Lodge Demolished —

Spam

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what legislative measures her Department proposes to take against spam; and if she will make a statement on the estimated cost of spam to British businesses.

Stephen Timms: The Government have implemented the EU Directive on Electronic Communications by introducing the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations in December 2003 under which the sending of unsolicited direct marketing (spam) e-mails to individual subscribers is prohibited. For corporate subscribers the regulations are slightly different. Direct marketing companies are required to ensure that the identify of the sender is clearly stated in the e-mail with a valid address, which the recipient can use to request that further e-mails are not sent to them.
	The Government do not have an estimate of the cost to British business of unsolicited direct marketing (spam) e-mails. The UK is involved in a current exercise conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which aims to develop better techniques for measuring spam and estimating its impact.

Stem Cell/Embryo Research

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the Medical Research Council's 2004–05 funding is devoted to stem cell and embryonic research.

Patricia Hewitt: The MRC received £26 million of the £40 million made available by the Government in the 2002 spending review for research into stem cells. £12.6 million has been awarded so far. Other embryonic and/or stem cell research may also be supported by MRC via responsive mode funding during 2004–05.
	It is not possible to calculate what proportion of the Council's income will be spent on any area of research as MRC has not yet made all the funding decisions for 2004–05.

HEALTH

Contraception

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraception implant in each year since 2000, broken down by strategic health authority; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by young people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in each year since 2000, broken down by (i) strategic health authority and (ii) sex; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in the Essex Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Essex Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000.

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in the Essex Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Essex Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000.

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000.

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many attendances at family clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000.

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000;
	(2)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000, broken down by sex.

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years there were in the Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Dorset and Somerset Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 2000.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 May 2004
	I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Workington (Tony Cunningham) and for Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) today.

Contraception

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls aged (a) under 14 and (b) under 16 have been given the Norplant contraceptive injection in each of the last five years for which statistics are available.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not available.

Contraception

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 there were in West Cumbria in each year since 2000, broken down by sex;
	(2)  how many women aged (a) 11, (b) 12, (c) 13, (d) 14, (e) 15, (f) 16, (g) 17, (h) 18 and (i) 19 years were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the West Cumbria Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000.

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many women of 19 years and under were fitted with a contraceptive implant in the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000, broken down by age;
	(2)  how many attendances at family planning clinics by people of 19 years and under there were in Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) sex and (b) age.

Melanie Johnson: The available information is shown in the tables. Information by age is only collected centrally for women on their first attendances during the year (first contacts) at family planning clinics and for contraceptive implants fitted by family planning clinics. Totals only are shown for women under 20 due to small numbers.
	In England we are taking a number of steps, through the Government's national strategy for sexual health and HIV and teenage pregnancy strategy, to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy. The Government are working to improve access to contraceptive services and the range of methods of contraception that are available and to improve sex and relationships education. The number of family planning sessions aimed at young people has increased to tackle high levels of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. We have also established a group of key experts to develop an action plan to support the improvement of contraceptive services at local level.
	
		Women aged under 20 attending family planning clinics whose main method of contraception was a contraceptive implant, by strategic health authority (SHA), 2000–01 to 2002–03
		
			 SHA 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			  England 470 740 1,350 
			  
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 20 30 90 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 10 20 30 
			 Q03 Essex 20 0 0 
			 Q04 North West London 0 10 10 
			 Q05 North Central London 0 30 20 
			 Q06 North East London 0 10 10 
			 Q07 South East London 20 0 20 
			 Q08 South West London 10 10 20 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 70 60 220 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 10 10 30 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 20 30 80 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 40 60 70 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 10 10 20 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 10 20 40 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 10 20 40 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 20 20 40 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 10 10 30 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 0 10 40 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 50 90 80 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 20 20 50 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 40 60 70 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset 10 10 20 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 10 20 50 
			 Q24 Trent 60 70 140 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 10 20 50 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 0 20 30 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country 0 10 20 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcestershire 20 70 50 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures rounded to nearest 10; 0 indicates less than 5.
	Source:
	Statistics Division, Department of Health.
	
		Women aged under 20 attending family planning clinics whose main method of contraception was a contraceptive implant, by age, England, 2000–01 to 2002–03
		
			  Under 15 15 16–19 
		
		
			 2000–01 20 50 400 
			 2001–02 20 60 650 
			 2002–03 60 100 1,190 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures rounded to nearest 10.
	Source:
	Statistics Division, Department of Health.
	
		First contacts at family planning clinics with women aged under 20 by age and strategic health authority (SHA), 2000–01 to 2002–03 -- Thousand
		
			   2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
			  SHA Under 15  15  16–19 Under 15  15  16–19 Under 15  15  16–19 
		
		
			  England 28.2 46.2 270.5 31.6 48.3 264.3 33.5 51.5 268.1 
			
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 0.7 1.3 8.9 0.8 1.3 8.1 0.7 1.4 8.3 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 0.4 0.6 5.2 0.4 0.7 5.5 0.4 0.7 5.7 
			 Q03 Essex 0.6 1.2 8.4 0.5 1.0 6.7 0.6 1.2 7.3 
			 Q04 North West London 0.4 0.8 7.9 0.5 0.8 7.7 0.4 0.8 6.7 
			 Q05 North Central London 0.3 0.6 6.8 0.4 0.9 7.0 0.3 1.0 7.0 
			 Q06 North East London 0.3 1.2 7.6 0.5 1.0 6.8 0.7 1.0 7.7 
			 Q07 South East London 1.4 2.6 18.7 1.3 2.4 16.2 1.3 2.2 14.2 
			 Q08 South West London 0.5 1.7 7.6 0.5 1.6 6.9 0.5 1.1 6.1 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 1.8 2.3 8.9 2.2 2.4 9.6 2.5 3.0 9.2 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 0.9 1.4 6.8 1.0 1.5 6.7 1.1 1.4 6.4 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern  Lincolnshire 0.8 1.3 7.2 1.5 1.7 7.8 1.5 2.0 8.4 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 1.3 2.2 11.4 1.4 2.4 12.2 1.4 2.5 12.0 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 0.9 1.6 8.0 1.1 1.9 8.7 1.3 2.1 9.3 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 2.7 3.9 19.2 3.5 4.4 21.1 3.1 4.2 21.7 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 1.7 3.2 21.4 1.7 3.0 21.4 1.9 3.4 21.5 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 0.8 1.4 7.9 0.9 1.5 8.9 1.1 1.6 9.1 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1.4 1.8 10.5 1.4 1.9 10.4 1.7 2.2 11.1 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 0.6 1.2 7.3 0.6 1.4 6.9 0.6 1.3 7.2 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 0.9 1.4 9.0 0.8 1.6 9.5 1.0 2.0 10.8 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 0.8 1.4 9.3 0.8 1.3 8.7 0.6 1.6 9.2 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 0.7 1.1 7.1 1.1 1.4 7.0 1.3 1.8 8.2 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset 0.3 0.6 4.1 0.4 0.6 3.7 0.5 0.9 4.1 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 1.9 1.8 8.1 1.7 1.4 6.4 2.2 2.1 8.3 
			 Q24 Trent 1.9 2.7 12.2 2.2 2.8 12.0 2.0 2.7 11.7 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and  Rutland 0.3 0.7 3.9 0.7 1.0 4.3 1.0 1.3 4.1 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 1.1 1.8 8.6 1.1 2.0 8.8 1.2 2.1 8.7 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country 2.0 3.2 20.4 2.1 3.1 18.3 1.9 3.1 16.8 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Hereford and  Worcestershire 0.7 1.2 7.9 0.6 . 1.1 6.9 0.6 1.1 7.3 
		
	
	Source:
	Statistics Division, Department of Health.

Departmental Annual Report

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish an update of the data contained in Figure 7.7 of the 2003 Departmental Annual Report, compiled on the same basis.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 May 2004
	Traditionally, efficiency in the National Health Service has been measured using the cost weighted efficiency index but changes in the way healthcare is delivered now mean that it gives an increasingly incomplete and misleading picture. Therefore, an update was not published in the 2004 Departmental Report.
	The main drawbacks of the cost weighted efficiency index are that it:
	fails to count a large amount of NHS activity—for example primary care consultations and procedures, nurse led procedures, Family Health Services prescriptions, NHS Direct calls and walk-in centre visits;
	takes no account of quality such as better health outcomes, shorter waiting times,singles sex wards or cleaner hospitals;
	classifies activity in only 12 activity types and two of which (inpatients and outpatients) account for 85 per cent, of the cost weights. This limits the ability to measure changes in case-mix; and
	perversely records shifts in activity from inpatients to outpatients and from outpatients to primary or community care as inefficiency.
	The Office for National Statistics is working with the Department as part of the Atkinson Review of Measurement of Government Outputs to develop new measures of NHS productivity. The updated figures for figure 7.7 of the 2003 Departmental Report are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services cost weighted activity Expenditure adjusted for changes in input unit costs Real terms growth in expenditure 
			 Year Index Growth (%) Index Growth (%) Index Growth (%) 
		
		
			 1991–92 100.0  100.0  100.0  
			 1992–93 103.1 3.1 103.1 3.1 106.8 6.8 
			 1993–94 107.2 4.0 104.7 1.6 109.5 2.5 
			 1994–95 111.7 4.2 106.2 1 .4 112.3 2.6 
			 1995–96 116.1 4.0 108.1 1 .8 115.3 2.6 
			 1996–97 118.0 1 .7 109.7 1 .5 116.5 1.1 
			 1997–98 120.2 1.8 112.1 2.2 117.5 0.9 
			 1998–99 122.6 2.1 115.4 3.0 122.4 4.1 
			 1999–2000 124.0 1.1 119.7 3.7 129.6 5.9 
			 2000–01 124.7 0.6 125.1 4.5 138.0 6.5 
			 2001–02 124.8 0.1 126.5 1.1 143.0 3.6

Food Supplements

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on (a) the Food Supplements Directive and (b) the maximum permitted levels in food supplements; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: In October 2003, I met representatives of the health food industry, at their request, to discuss their concerns over the potential impact of the Food Supplements Directive, particularly relating to the submission of safety dossiers to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and to the future setting of European maximum levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements.
	In addition, I have received letters about the directive from hon. and right hon. Members on behalf of constituents, as well as letters from industry representatives.
	Since last October there was a constructive meeting, facilitated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), between industry representatives and representatives of the EFSA to discuss safety dossiers. In addition, I have recently set out the Government's views on the setting of maximum limits to European Commissioner David Byrne.
	I have stated my willingness to meet food supplement industry representatives again. However, I have suggested that before such a meeting it would be useful for industry technical advisers to meet FSA officials to discuss detailed technical issues relating to dossiers and then for the industry to gain experience of submitting such dossiers to EFSA. In addition, I have asked that industry submits the information, requested by the FSA on my behalf last July, relating to products containing vitamins and minerals and their sources currently missing from the lists of permitted substances in the directive.

Foundation Trusts

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hospitals in the first wave of foundation trusts, giving for each (a) the number of patients treated in the last year for which figures are available, (b) the local resident population, (c) the number of patient electors in the recent election of governors, (d) the number of local resident electors and (e) the number of (i) patient electors and (ii) local residents who voted in the recent election of governors.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 May 2004
	Information concerning the number of patients treated by hospitals of the first wave of national health service foundation trusts who were authorised on 1 April 2004 should be obtained from the individual organisations. The hospitals concerned are:
	Basildon and Thurrock General Hospital NHS Trust
	Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust
	Countess of Chester NHS Trust
	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust
	Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust
	Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust
	Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust
	Stockport NHS Trust
	The Royal Marsden NHS Trust
	Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust
	Stockport NHS Trust
	The Royal Marsden NHS Trust
	Information concerning the number of patients treated by hospitals in the first wave of NHS foundation trusts who are looking to authorisation from 1 July 2004 has been placed in the Library.
	Figures for the local resident population of the first wave of NHS foundation trusts are not collected centrally due to the nature of the commissioning of healthcare. The information provided could be duplicated for other local NHS trusts and would therefore be inaccurate.
	Information on elections to the board of governors of NHS foundation trusts is a matter for the Office of the Independent Regulator of NHS foundation trusts. The Chairman will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

GP Surgeries

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the maintenance backlog to reach estate code condition B was in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 9 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1205–06W.

Health Service Premises

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners' surgeries have been (a) modernised and (b) removed to other premises in (i) Chorley and (ii) Lancashire since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table. Information is only available from 2000–01.
	
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 total 2002–03 total Q3 2003–04 year to date total 
			 Premises refurbished and replaced Number of premises replaced Number of premises refurbished Number of premises replaced Number of premises refurbished Number of premises replaced Number of premises refurbished Number of premises replaced Number of premises refurbished 
		
		
			 East Lancashire Health Authority  (HA) 2 3 0 5 — — — — 
			 North West Lancashire HA 1 2 1 4 — — — — 
			 South Lancashire HA 1 3 2 4 — — — — 
			 Chorley and South Ribble Primary  Care Trust (PCT) — — — — 0 4 0 0 
			 Blackburn and Darwin PCT — — — — 0 0 1 2 
			 Blackpool PCT — — — — 1 1 1 0 
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT — — — — 0 0 1 3 
			 Fylde PCT — — — — 0 0 0 2 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT — — — — 0 0 0 0 
			 Preston PCT — — — — 0 1 0 1 
			 West Lancashire PCT — — — — 0 0 0 0 
			 Wyre PCT — — — — 0 1 0 0 
			 Total 4 8 3 13 1 7 3 8 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health LDPR Quarterly Returns

Health Services (West Lancashire)

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of elective admissions to the NHS in West Lancashire in the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 10 May 2004
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Count of in year elective admissions, 1998–99–2002–03.PCT code equal to West Lancashire NHS Hospital, England
		
			  
		
		
			 2002–03 11,044 
			 2001–02 11,551 
			 2000–01 13,085 
			 1999–2000 13,670 
			 1998–99 13,076 
		
	
	Notes:
	In Year Admissions
	Between the years 2000–01 and 2001–02, a number of National Health Service trusts in the North West reclassified inpatient procedures as outpatients. This has shown itself in apparent falls in activity levels. The majority of residents served by the West Lancashire Primary Care Trust will be referred to the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. During this period 3,500 admissions were reclassified from daycases to outpatients at the Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust. An in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admission beginning before 1 April at the start of the datayear. Periods of care ongoing at the end of the datayear (unfinished admission episodes) are included. However, admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	PCT Code
	PCT codes is a derived field providing the Primary Care Trust responsible for the patient. The PCT code is derived from the GP practice with which the patient is registered (GPPRAC) if this is known, or REGGMP, PURCODE or the postcode of the patient.
	Ungrossed Data
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data (ie the data are ungrossed).
	Source
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

Hip Replacement

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest average waiting time for a hip replacement operation in the East Riding of Yorkshire is.

Melanie Johnson: The information is shown in the table.
	
		Count of Finished Admissions with Mean Time Waited, 2002–03 -- Main operation="Hip Replacement" (OPCS-4 codes W37-W39 and W46-W48)By PCT code (PCT of responsibilty)NHS Hospitals, England
		
			 PCT—Primary care trust code (PCT of responsibility) Finished admissions Median Time waited (days) Mean Time waited (days) 
		
		
			 5E3East Yorkshire PCT 120 152 199 
			 5E4 Yorkshire Wolds and  Coast PCT 188 217 238 
			 5E5 Eastern Hull PCT 78 143 201 
			 5E6 West Hull PCT 114 84 159 
		
	
	Notes:
	Finished admission episodes:
	A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	PCT code:
	A derived field providing the Primary Care Trust responsible for the patient. The PCTCODE is derived from the GP practice with which the patient is registered (GPPRA) if this is known, or REGGMP, PURCODE or the postcode of the patient.
	Ungrossed Data:
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

IT Systems

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the amount of staff time required to input data into the databases for the National Programme for Information Technology.

John Hutton: The national programme for information technology (IT) is implementing a series of IT solutions to improve patient choice and the quality of patient treatment and care. Fundamental to this is the national health service care records service (CRS) that will enable patient care information to be accessed at the point of need anywhere in England. The intention is to ensure that information on a patient is captured once and used operationally across a range of care settings and in support of a care pathway. This saves time for clinicians and avoids patients having to repeat the same information over and over again as they move from department to department or clinician to clinician.
	In most cases, information will be transferred automatically from existing local IT systems and Patient Administration Systems into the nationally available NHS CRS. This will be a similar process to what happens with existing systems every time there is a system refresh or upgrade.
	The recording of information about patients is part of normal clinical practice, and it is not envisaged that the use of the NHS CRS will require any significant additional effort from NHS staff than with existing processes and systems.

Lung Cancer Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to develop a screening programme for lung cancer in the UK; and what assessment he has made of the possible benefits of a screening programme on the mortality rates for lung cancer.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 May 2004
	The National Health Service Cancer Plan stated that the government would extend and roll out new screening programmes, where it is clear that screening reduces mortality. Currently, there is no such evidence for a screening tool for lung cancer. The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (NSC), which advises Ministers on all aspects of screening policy, considered data from an American study at its meeting in March 2003 and concluded that the findings reinforced the policy not to offer screening. At the July 2003 meeting of the NSC, it was noted that a major trial is currently under way in New York and the topic will be reviewed when that trial reports. The National Cancer Research Institute—established at our request in April 2001 to co-ordinate the national drive on cancer research—has now convened a strategic planning group on lung cancer, which is due to meet for the first time in the summer.

Mesothelioma

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients suffering with mesothelioma are taking part in the MSO1 drug trials; and what the first indications of the trial show.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 May 2004
	The MSO1 trial is funded by Cancer Research UK and is being run by the Medical Research Council clinical trials unit. The trial will look at the value of chemotherapy and active symptom control (ASC) in the treatment of patients with mesothelioma as compared to ASC alone. So far, 280 patients have entered the trial from more than 30 centres in the United Kingdom and one in Australia, but recruitment will need to continue for a further two years before there are sufficient patients to make valid comparisons.

Workforce Development Confederation

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are employed in the Workforce Development Confederation; and from where they were deployed into strategic health authorities.

John Hutton: The information requested is not available. Prior to the integration of workforce development confederations (WDCs) into strategic health authorities (SHAs), staff employed by WDCs had contracts of employment with SHAs from the date SHAs were established in April 2002. Prior to this, WDC staff had contracts of employment with their host national health service organisation, which were mainly health authorities and NHS trusts. These staff have been counted in the workforce census as SHA staff in the 2002 and 2003 censuses and prior to that were counted as part of the staff in their NHS host organisation.
	Information on the number of staff employed by SHAs is shown in the following table.
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) staff and NHS hospital and community health services: medical and non-medical staff directly employed by strategic health authorities in England as at 30 September 2003 -- headcount
		
			Strategic health authorities All medical and dental and non-medical staff 
		
		
			  England 3,540 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 65 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 70 
			 Q03 Essex 69 
			 Q04 North West London 109 
			 Q05 North Central London 131 
			 Q06 North East London 163 
			 Q07 South East London 104 
			 Q08 South West London 91 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 105 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley 92 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern  Lincolnshire 67 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire 82 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire 55 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester 169 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside 208 
			 Q16 Thames Valley 133 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 144 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway 89 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex 299 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 66 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula 114 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset 103 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire 402 
			 Q24 Trent 139 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 86 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire 93 
			 Q27 Birmingham and The Black Country 189 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and  Worcestershire 103 
		
	
	Note:
	Medical staff figures do not include staff employed by other organisations even when they work in the SHA.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
	Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census

Orthopaedics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many overseas orthopaedic surgeons are working in independent sector treatment centres; and of these, how many are registered with the Royal College specialist register.

John Hutton: The specialist register is maintained and published by the General Medical Council (GMC). All doctors working unsupervised in independent sector treatment centres (IS-TCs) are required to be included in that register.
	There are four overseas surgeons currently delivering orthopaedic surgical procedures within the IS-TCs programme. All four are included on surgical specialist registers maintained by the GMC.

Skin Cancer

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what research he plans to commission into the incidence of pre-cancerous skin lesions in England;
	(2)  what research his Department has funded into the incidence of skin cancers in England in the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has not funded any specific research into the incidence of skin cancers in England in the last five years, and has no plans to commission specific research into the incidence of pre-cancerous skin lesions in England. Increased incidence in melanoma is due to greater overexposure to sunlight. Since 1997 the Department's policy research programme has spent £1.89 million on research relating to skin cancer, including projects on risk factors, health education and primary prevention.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by the Arts Council in each of the last five financial years, broken down by local authority.

Estelle Morris: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost

Arts Warehouse Fire

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the items of contemporary art (a) destroyed and (b) damaged by the fire at the arts storage warehouse in East London on 25 May; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The contents of the warehouse are a matter for Momart Ltd. and its clients. No works of art from the Government Art Collection were stored in the warehouse at the time of the fire, nor were any works from the collections held by the national museums and galleries, or any works indemnified under the Government Indemnity Scheme.
	Arts Council England is seeking to confirm the whereabouts of two works from the Saatchi Gift, a large body of work recently donated to the Arts Council Collection. It is also feared that the Crafts Council, which has received direct funding from the Arts Council since 1999, lost a number of pieces from its collection, and a full list will be published in due course.

Bullying

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the projects which have received Lottery funding to enable children to combat bullying.

Estelle Morris: Lottery distributors have awarded the following amounts on projects that have the explicit aim of combating bullying:
	the Community Fund has allocated £5 million;
	Arts Council England has allocated £10,211;
	Awards for All has allocated £69,096;
	New Opportunities Fund has allocated £1.7 million; and
	the Heritage Lottery Fund allocated £2,700.
	Please note that these figures refer only to projects that specifically aim to reduce bullying.
	The list of projects is long and I am arranging for the detailed list to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Community Radio

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the impact of community radio on small commercial radio stations.

Estelle Morris: This issue was considered in Anthony Everitt's independent evaluation of community radio, particularly in section 5.7 of "New Voices", copies of which are available from Ofcom. The report concluded that community radio stations should usually be able to receive up to half their income from advertising sales and sponsorship but that small commercial stations should be given some protection in certain circumstances. In addition, this Department is considering the representations made on this issue as part of the consultation on the draft Community Radio Order. We are also proposing to ask Ofcom to review the impact of the community radio sector two years after the first community radio licence is awarded.
	We expect to lay the Community Radio Order in June.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will obtain a reply to the letters dated 18 March and 22 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton to the Community Fund with regard to Highfield Country Park.

Estelle Morris: I understand that the Community Fund replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton's letter of 18 March 2004 on 2 June. Unfortunately the Community Fund has not been able to trace his second letter of 22 April.

Creative Partnerships Programme

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of the Creative Partnerships programme was in its first full year.

Estelle Morris: In 2002–03, £15 million was allocated to Creative Partnerships, of which £6.2 million had been spent by 31 March 2003, after two school terms of the programme. The amount spent during the third term will be included in Arts Council England's accounts for 2003–04. Figures for this year are not yet available.

Departmental Administration Budget

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of administration costs in her Department for (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06, broken down by (i) salary and (ii) other costs.

Richard Caborn: The information requested on administration costs is contained in the table:
	
		£ million
		
			  2004–05 2005–06 
		
		
			 Pay 19.5 19.5 
			 Non-pay 28.5 31.5

Departmental Budget

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of her Department's annual budget is administered through non-departmental public bodies.

Richard Caborn: The information requested is shown in the table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 2002–03  
			 Actual outturn 82.40 
			   
			 2003–04  
			 Expected outturn 82.40 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Budget 83.43 
			   
			 2005–06  
			 Budget 84.03

Departmental Priorities

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what strategic issues have been given priority by her Department's Strategy, Policy and Delivery Division.

Richard Caborn: The work of the Division reflects the strategic priorities of my Department as a whole. These are children and young people, community, the economy and modernising delivery.

Licensing Act

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether new licence fee revenues under the Licensing Act 2003 are intended to cover the cost of local authority implementation and enforcement.

Richard Caborn: Fees under the Licensing Act 2003 will be set centrally at a level that allows the full recovery of the costs of administration, inspection and enforcement associated with the new system. We have agreed to an independent review of the fees and costs once the new system is in operation, and these will be kept under regular review.

Licensing Act

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when her Department will advise local authorities of the commencement of the transitional period for implementing the Licensing Act 2003.

Richard Caborn: The timetable for full implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 is dependent on Parliamentary approval of the draft Guidance to licensing authorities, which was laid before Parliament on 23 March 2004. Following parliamentary approval the Secretary of State can issue the Guidance to licensing authorities and name the first appointed day which will mark the start of the nine-month transitional period. The first appointed day will be at least six months after the Guidance is issued by the Secretary of State.

Museums

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of trends in the number of visitors to museums neither funded by her Department nor participating in the Renaissance in the Regions programme.

Estelle Morris: Estimates drawn from published data 1 suggest that, between 2000 and 2002 2 , the mean number of visits to these museums (museums in England not directly funded by DCMS nor participating in Renaissance in the Regions) went up by 4 per cent.
	1 Visits to Visitor Attractions, published by VisitBritain.
	2 Latest figures available.

New Opportunities Fund

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the New Opportunities Fund was allocated to Bootle in each year since 1997.

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund began making grants in 1999. The awards to Bootle are shown in the table:
	
		
			  Financial year amount (£) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 4,416,628 
			 2000–01 1,355,191 
			 2001–02 327,965 
			 2002–03 2,776,451 
			 2003–04 993,693 
			 2004–05 500 
		
	
	The information is freely available from the Department's searchable Lottery award database at www.lottery.culture.gsi.gov.uk, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors.

Olympics 2012

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action the Government are taking to address the criticism in the International Olympic Committee's assessment of the UK rail network and the capital's transport infrastructure to improve London's chances of hosting the Games in 2012.

Tessa Jowell: Detailed transport plans are being developed for London's bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012, which will be submitted to the International Olympic Committee in November.
	Over £17 billion of public money has been allocated to improve transport in London between now and 2012. This includes £1 billion which is being invested every year until 2010 in improving London Underground, which will deliver better services and greater capacity. By 2012, Stratford station, which is already the most accessible transport interchange in London, will be served by 10 railway lines, including the new high speed Channel Tunnel rail link into St Pancras.

Portable Electrical Equipment

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how often since 1997 (a) her Department and (b) its associated public sector organisations have undergone portable appliance testing of IT equipment; and what the cost was of portable appliance testing in each year since 1997.

Richard Caborn: The Department does not hold detailed historical information for portable appliance testing and costs. The last test of portable items was conducted in 2002 but did not include computers replaced that year and those due for replacement in 2003.
	This year the Department will be conducting tests on all portable electrical appliances. The contractor for this work will be chosen on a competitive basis. A budget sum of £4,500 has been allowed for testing of all equipment including computers.
	Royal Parks Agency
	The Royal Parks undertake portable appliance testing of electrical equipment, including IT equipment, annually at a cost of £1,500 per annum.
	IT equipment comprises 62 per cent. of all electrical equipment, resulting in an annual spend of £930 on portable appliance testing of IT equipment. Since 1997 and including committed funds for 2004, this totals £7,440. In accordance with published guidance and best practice, The Royal Parks intend hereafter to portable appliance test IT equipment at two-year intervals only.
	In respect of the Department's non-departmental public bodies, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Positive Activities for Young People Programme

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  which areas have been targeted for support under the Positive Activities for Young People programme; how these areas were decided upon; what targets have been set for the programme; and how success in those targets will be measured;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the impact of the Positive Activities for Young People scheme on reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

Richard Caborn: Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) is delivered in every Government office region in England. The target Local Education Authority areas within each region were selected using a weighting system encompassing crime levels, education goals on truancy and attendance and experience of previous activity schemes.
	The PAYP target is to provide up to 22,500 full-time equivalent places (this could involve up to 67,000 young people) on diversionary activities for 'at risk' young people and to provide key worker support for up to 7,500 young people with a view to engaging them with positive outcomes within education and training and thereby reducing the likelihood of offending. Young people remain engaged in PAYP for as long as they need this type of support. The aim is to achieve a 65 per cent. positive outcome rate for PAYP participants, which is measured by entry into education, training and employment.
	There is in place a three-year programme of evaluation that will look at the impact of PAYP over a period of time.

Public Libraries

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability in public libraries of reading material for those with reading disabilities.

Estelle Morris: It is for local authorities to make decisions about the reading stock provided in public libraries. We have funded the National Library for the Blind to provide seminars for library staff, and people with sight problems to promote a better understanding of services available and customer needs. With the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) we are bringing together a number of disability organisations and library agencies, to look at what practical improvements could be made. The People's Network of computers in all libraries, provided by early last year with 100 million from the National Lottery, enables texts to be printed in large formats. MLA is looking at how this and other services could be improved.

Regional Assemblies

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what research her Department has commissioned on the role which regional assemblies could play in service delivery in her Department's sectors.

Richard Caborn: The existing regional chambers, or assemblies, do not have a service delivery function. Their principal responsibilities are the scrutiny of regional economic strategies under the Regional Development Agencies Act, 1998. In addition, from 1 April 2003 all the chambers took on the role of regional planning bodies, with responsibility for producing regional planning guidance. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, 2004, they will have responsibility for producing Regional Spatial Strategies. I have therefore commissioned no such research, but I do require the Regional Culture Consortiums for which I am responsible to develop regional cultural strategies in consultation with a wide range of regional partners including regional chambers and assemblies.
	The Government's proposals for the powers and functions of elected regional assemblies, including their cultural responsibilities, were set out in the 2002 White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions" (Cm5511). These will be reflected in the draft Bill that we intend to publish before the first referenda are held on whether to establish elected assemblies.

Television (Disabled Access)

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to encourage an increase in the proportion of television programmes subject to (a) subtitling, (b) signing and (c) audio description.

Estelle Morris: The Communications Act 2003 provided for substantially increased access provision by broadcasters, including, for the first time, cable and satellite broadcasters. It is the responsibility of Ofcom to establish the code governing that increased provision. Following a recent consultation exercise, Ofcom expects to publish that code in the summer.
	Within the context of planning for digital switchover, the Government have also had discussions with broadcasters to encourage them to increase the provision of audio description services across all digital platforms, including satellite and cable.

Television (Disabled Access)

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 24 May 2004, Official Report, column 1313W, on Ofcom (Television Access), if she will take steps to ensure that Ofcom includes in the code the annual increases in subtitling, signing and audio description of television programmes promised during the passage of the Communications Act.

Estelle Morris: As we made clear during the passage of the Communications Act, we do not believe that it is necessary to specify in legislation annual targets for the increased provision of subtitling, signing and audio description. Ofcom has the power to establish interim targets, should they appear to Ofcom to be necessary to meet its duties in respect of people with disabilities. Those duties, combined with the extension of access obligations to cable and satellite channels and the 10 and five-year targets which are set out in the Act, represent a realistic way of achieving the substantial increase in access provision to which the Government are committed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Bananas

George Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what pressure the Department is exerting on discussions at the World Trade Organisation on bananas in order to protect Caribbean banana producers.

Denis MacShane: As part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) settlement with the USA and Ecuador reached in 2001, the EU is committed to the removal of quota restrictions on banana imports by the end of 2005. Further WTO negotiations will be needed to determine how the existing quotas are converted into tariffs.
	The UK recognises the importance of the banana trade to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) exporters. We firmly believe that the inevitable changes to the banana regime must be phased at a rate that allows their economies to adjust.
	DEFRA and European Commission officials met earlier this year to discuss the matter. Further representations will be made as necessary, when the Commission seeks a mandate from member states for proposals on a tariff-only import regime to submit to the WTO.
	As a separate issue, the existing waiver under WTO rules allowing the EU to provide tariff preferences for the ACP countries expires in 2007 and is to be replaced by the development of Economic Partnership Agreements. The terms for these are currently under negotiation. The UK is taking a close interest.

Bangladesh

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the level of protection afforded by the Government of Bangladesh to the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Bangladesh.

Mike O'Brien: Following reports of attacks against members of the Ahmadiyya community in Bangladesh last year, we made a number of representations to the Bangladeshi authorities asking them to ensure the Ahmadiyyas were given necessary protection and that the perpetrators of attacks are brought to justice. The Bangladeshi Government has accepted that there is a problem. However we remain concerned about the position of the Ahmadiyyas in Bangladesh. Our High Commissioner in Dhaka raised the issue during his introductory call on the Foreign Minister on 19 May. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make representations when appropriate.

Bulgaria

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support his Department has offered BAE Systems in their bid for the upgrading of helicopters in Bulgaria.

Denis MacShane: The British embassy in Sofia has provided consistent support to BAE Systems in their bid, for example, by raising the matter in discussion with senior Bulgarian Ministry of Defence and military representatives and by meeting with company representatives.

Bulgaria

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions took place between his Department and representatives of the Government of Bulgaria with regard to BAE Systems' bid for the upgrading of helicopters in Bulgaria; which Ministers attended those discussions; on what dates they were held; and what the substance of those discussions was.

Denis MacShane: There have been regular discussions over the last year between staff from the British embassy in Sofia and representatives of the Bulgarian Government and military. The dates of all such discussions have not been recorded but the substance covered the merits of the BAE Systems bid and of competing bids, and the procedures to be followed. Our ambassador raised this during his introductory call on senior military staff on 5 March, as well as at receptions and in the margins of other meetings. Our Defence Attaché, in addition to inquiring regularly about progress, attended a meeting on 27 April, between BAE Systems and Bulgarian Deputy Defence Ministers. This covered the bid process that the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence intended to follow.

Bulgaria

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received from foreign Governments about the tender process for the upgrading of helicopters in Bulgaria.

Denis MacShane: No formal representations from any foreign Governments have been made to the FCO regarding the tender process for the upgrading of helicopters in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Bulgarian officials have raised concerns with his Department about the bid by BAE Systems for the upgrading of helicopters in Bulgaria.

Denis MacShane: Bulgarian officials have regularly discussed the bid with the staff of the British embassy in Sofia. Such discussions have covered, for example, the merits of the BAE bid and of competing bids, and the bid procedures.

Colombia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) senior members of his Department, (c) the UK Government's representatives in Colombia, (d) the Government's representatives in New York and (e) his ministerial colleagues in London have (i) had, (ii) agreed to have and (iii) sought to have with (A) Jan Egeland, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordinator, (B) other officials of the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (C) members and representatives of the Government of Colombia and (D) non-governmental organisations, in the UK and Colombia, following Jan Egeland's statement of 10 May 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: There are currently no legal restrictions in place in Colombia preventing access to any part of their country for international organisations and their agencies or for Colombian or foreign NGOs working there. However, the continuing armed conflict and the country's geography mean that access to the remotest parts of the country can be difficult. In addition, paramilitary or guerrilla groups do attempt to block access by outsiders to some parts of the country, particularly remote rural locations. International organisations and NGOs are also conscious of the potential risk to their staff of attempting to gain access to areas in which the armed conflict is on-going. Through its democratic security policy the Government of Colombia are trying to bring security and accessibility to all regions in the country. We constantly urge the Colombian Government to ensure that the implementation of this policy is in accordance with international law. We also monitor developments closely to inform our own travel advice.

Computer Misuse

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action.

Bill Rammell: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has monitored IT systems since April 2003. We take immediate, formal action against officers who seriously abuse the system (i.e. in cases involving pornographic images). In less serious cases (i.e. those involving offensive material), line managers normally warn first time offenders. We will take formal action against persistent offenders. Since April 2003, we have sent 72 formal warning letters. Disciplinary action has resulted in 34 cases.
	We have taken disciplinary action on two occasions as a result of identifying e-mails containing offensive language.
	We have also taken disciplinary action against two officers for browsing inappropriate websites.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under which UN Security Council resolution the Greek Cypriot Administration is classified as the Government of Cyprus.

Denis MacShane: UN Security Council Resolution 541 (1983) called upon all States to "respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-alignment of the Republic of Cyprus", deplored the "declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus" and considered the declaration as "legally invalid" and called for its "withdrawal".

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on the international (a) trade, (b) communication and (c) sport restrictions on Northern Cyprus of the Turkish Cypriot vote to accept the Annan Plan.

Denis MacShane: The clear majority vote by the Turkish Cypriot community at the referendum on 24 April to accept the UN Secretary General's plan for a settlement of the Cyprus problem has not gone unnoticed. The European Union and the wider international community have acknowledged that the situation on Cyprus has changed—there can be no return to the previous status quo. As a consequence of the Turkish Cypriot community's clear call for a settlement and for a future within the European Union the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council decided on 26 April 2004 to
	"put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community. The Council invited the Commission to bring forward comprehensive proposals to this end, with particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island and on improving contact between the two communities and with the EU."
	As part of its preparation of these comprehensive proposals the European Commission, together with the UK and other international partners, is examining steps to improve the situation of the Turkish Cypriots with regard to, inter alia, international trade, communication and sporting links.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will permit direct flights between Northern Cyprus and United Kingdom airports following the Turkish Cypriot vote to accept the Annan Plan.

Denis MacShane: The Government believe steps should be taken as quickly as possible to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. On 26 April 2004, the General Affairs and External Relations Council invited the European Commission to
	"bring forward comprehensive proposals, with particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island [of Cyprus] and on improving contact between the two communities and with the EU".
	We look forward to seeing these proposals. We are considering these issues too and see significant benefits in direct links between the northern part of Cyprus and other parts of the EU if this can be done in a safe and effective way, respecting the legitimate concerns and interests of all involved.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will take steps within the European Union to promote the amendment of legislation restricting trade and communications with Northern Cyprus following the vote to accept the Annan Plan; and whether the Government plan to provide financial assistance to Northern Cyprus.

Denis MacShane: Yes.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK High Commission office in Northern Cyprus will be upgraded following the Turkish Cypriot vote to accept the Annan Plan.

Denis MacShane: The British High Commission in Cyprus has maintained links with and a physical presence in both the north and south of Cyprus since 1974.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to invite representatives of the Turkish Cypriot administration to enter discussions with the Government on the future of Northern Cyprus.

Denis MacShane: Our High Commissioner and his staff maintain a regular dialogue with the Turkish Cypriot administration on the future of Northern Cyprus. We are looking at the possibility of receiving Mr. Talat, as the elected leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, in London this summer.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the status of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus London Representative Office will be changed following the vote to accept the Annan Plan.

Denis MacShane: No.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will take steps to promote the repeal of UN Security Council Resolution 541.

Denis MacShane: No.

Cyprus

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government would support an invitation from the UN Security Council and General Assembly for Turkish Cypriot elected leaders to address UN meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: We would have no objection to the elected leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community being invited to speak to the UN Security Council or the General Assembly in that capacity.

Departmental Administration Budget

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in his Department's administration budget by 2008 announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331.

Bill Rammell: The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the public spending settlements for 2006–08 to be announced in detail later this year.

Departmental Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: The number of private sector secondees working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its agencies in each of the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001–02 123 
			 2002–03 87 
			 2003–04 72 
		
	
	The majority of the secondees were brought in as business experts to work in UK Trade and Investment. They help UK companies develop their business overseas, and overseas companies invest in the UK.
	The FCO has not seconded any staff from the academic sector in the last three years.

European Constitution

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the articles in the draft European Constitution where decision-making by qualified majority vote replaces unanimity in the existing treaties.

Denis MacShane: The scope of qualified majority vote in the draft constitutional treaty is currently under negotiation. It was most recently discussed by Foreign Ministers on 17/18 May in Brussels on the basis of the Irish presidency proposals set out in document CIG 75/04 (placed in the Library of the House on 24 May 2004 and available on the presidency website: www.eu2004.ie). As we made clear in our White Paper (Cm 5934) presented to the House on 9 September 2003, we will insist that unanimity remain for treaty change and other areas of vital national interest such as tax, social security, defence, key aspects of criminal procedural law and the system of own resources. Once a final text is agreed, the Government will publish a comprehensive comparison of the existing treaties and the new constitutional treaty.

Export Promotion

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the percentage of staff time devoted to promoting UK exports by (a) UK embassies in general and (b) the UK embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Mike O'Brien: We estimate that around a quarter of staff time at British Missions overseas is devoted to trade development and investment work, which includes trade development activity. The estimated figure for Saudi Arabia is around 15 per cent.

Falkland Islands

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the amount of support from public funds to the Falkland Islanders in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The Falkland Islands are now economically self-sufficient in all areas, except defence. The economy of the Falkland Islands has grown rapidly since 1982 and the Falkland Islands Government continue to look to ensure that the economy remains diverse and sustainable for the future.
	The Ministry of Defence retains responsibility for defence of the Falkland Islands while the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers some programme assistance towards small-scale projects. Examples of FCO funding towards such projects for the Financial Year 2003–04 were £64,800 towards good governance, £45,000 to assist with economic diversification projects and £48,000 towards environmental projects.
	Given that many Government Departments have provided financial support to the Falkland Islands over the past 10 years, to provide the information requested would incur disproportionate costs.

Gibraltar

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he was able to resolve the issue of passenger cruise ships being barred from Spanish ports following visits to Gibraltar during his recent meeting with the Spanish Foreign Minister.

Jack Straw: holding answer 25 May 2004
	I told Senor Moratinos on 20 May that we regarded Spanish interference as unacceptable and illegal. I can report that since then there have been no incidents that have come to HMG's attention. I have written to him to underline the need to avoid any repetition of these actions. We continue to seek a permanent solution to this issue, and have asked the Commission to look into these incidents.

Gibraltar

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government will take to secure compensation for the effects on Gibraltar of Spain's interference in free movement of cruise ships; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 27 May 2004
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) today (UIN 175584).

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 675W, on Gibraltar, if he will make a statement on the meeting held with Spanish officials regarding cruise liners being blocked from entering Spanish ports after calling at Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) today (UIN 175565).

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 675W, on Gibraltar, whether compensation will be paid to shopkeepers in Gibraltar affected by cruise liners missing scheduled stops in Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: Our Permanent Representation to the EU has asked the Commission to look into this issue. Any decision to seek compensation would be a matter for the individuals concerned.

Gmice

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1574W, whether Gmice is a predominantly (a) Albanian and (b) Serb village; and when it was last visited by a United Kingdom representative.

Denis MacShane: Gmice is a predominantly Albanian village. There is no record of it having been visited recently by a UK representative but there are plans for a visit in the near future.

International Criminal Court

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Government intend to vote on the UN Security Council resolution 1487, moved by the United States, relating to the renewal of the mandate of the International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: UN Security Council resolutions 1487 (2003) and 1422 (2002) provided a 12-month exemption from ICC investigation for UN peacekeepers who are citizens of states which are not parties to the ICC Statute. Both resolutions are consistent with the ICC Statute.
	Although we understand US concerns about the ICC and their reasons for wanting the resolution rolled-over for a further 12 months, we do not share them. However, we recognise that those concerns are still firmly held by the US with possibly serious implications for UN Security Council-mandated operations. The Government attach the utmost importance to maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of United Nations peacekeeping operations. They are therefore ready to support a roll-over of UNSCR 1487 while urging the US to recognise that a further resolution next year will not be necessary.
	The UK is firmly committed to the ICC. We are one of the court's strongest supporters. We continue to work for an effective court and to encourage other states to become parties to it.

Investment Promotion Activities

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the investment promotion activities of United Kingdom officials in (a) Sudan and (b) Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: It is not UK Trade and Investment's role to promote investment in overseas countries. We are happy to support UK companies who have taken a commercial decision to invest overseas. As such, UK Trade and Investment offers general advice and information to UK companies wishing to trade with or invest in Sudan and Iraq.
	A small commercial section operates from the British embassy in Khartoum, headed by the Deputy Head of Mission and supported by two local staff. The section works to identify opportunities for British goods and services in the Sudanese market and to provide sales leads to UK companies. The interest shown by UK companies in Sudan is low, due in part to the continuing uncertainty over the security situation in the country.
	On Iraq, UK Trade and Investment has arranged a number of events in London and in the region, aimed at explaining the modalities of doing business in Iraq and bidding for reconstruction contracts. The commercial section of the British Office in Baghdad can provide information on request to UK companies.

Investment Promotion Activities

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at what meetings between United Kingdom Government officials and United Kingdom companies in the last 12 months investment in (a) Sudan and (b) Zimbabwe was discussed; and what the (i) names of the officials concerned and (ii) nature of the discussions was in each case.

Mike O'Brien: UK Trade and Investment through its offices in the UK and overseas Posts in Khartoum and Harare provide general advice and information to companies wishing to establish or expand trade or investment links with Sudan and Zimbabwe. This is usually done on a responsive basis. We do not maintain details of all meetings at which such issues are discussed and to collate this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Iran

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iranians of the Bahá'i faith have (a) applied for visas to visit the UK, (b) been granted visas to visit the UK and (c) applied for asylum on arrival in the UK following the granting of a visitors' visa in each year from 1998.

Chris Mullin: Entry clearance applicants are not asked to record their religion as part of the application process. UKvisas does not therefore hold figures for the number of Iranians of the Baha'i faith who have applied or been granted visas to visit the UK. Data on the specific religion of asylum seekers are not recorded and collated centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Iran

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to member states of the European Union in relation to the treatment by Iran of the Bahá'is and other religious minorities; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Ministers and officials regularly discuss the human rights situation in Iran with EU colleagues. EU partners share our serious concerns about restrictions on religious freedom and the persecution of religious minorities. The EU has raised these concerns with the Iranian authorities on many occasions, including through the EU/Iran human rights dialogue.
	The situation of the Bahá'i community in Iran is of particular concern. The Bahá'is are not among the religious minorities recognised by Iran's constitution. The EU has made representations to the Iranian Government about the persecution of Bahá'is, most recently concerning the demolition of a Bahá'i shrine at Babol. The UK and most European countries co-sponsored a resolution on human rights in Iran at the United Nations General Assembly in December which expressed serious concern at the treatment of religious minorities, including the Bahá'is.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, columns 748–49W, on Iraq, with whom the Coalition Provisional Authority liaised to ensure section 20 of memorandum No. 2 (CPA/ORD/30th May 2003/09) was met in all Iraqi prisons, including those under military control.

Bill Rammell: The CPA liaised, and continues to liaise, with the Iraqi Corrections Service and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, columns 748–49W, on Iraq, how often and by whom section 21 of the Coalition Provisional Authority memorandum No. 2 on management of detention and prison facilities (CPA/ORD/30th May 2003/09) has been exercised.

Bill Rammell: Institutions have been inspected on a regular and on-going basis by senior officials of the Iraqi Corrections Service (ICS) and by experienced advisors working with the CPA's Senior Adviser for Prisons. However, the security situation in Iraq has limited inspections of ICS facilities, particularly outside the Baghdad region.

Iraq

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on what will constitute the sovereignty to be transferred from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqi Governing Council on 30 June.

Bill Rammell: The Iraqi Interim Government will be sovereign and will assume full authority for governing Iraq by 30 June.

Iraq

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Iraq.

Chris Mullin: The security situation is stable in much of Iraq; however, in parts of the south, supporters of Muqtada al Sadr have continued to clash with the Multinational Force. His illegal militia have been intimidating the local population of several cities, illegally occupying public buildings and attacking Iraqi civilians. Multinational Forces have sought to avoid a military escalation both in the south and in Fallujah, and we are hoping that current efforts by Iraqis to reach peaceful solutions will be successful.
	We have also seen continued desperate terrorist attacks on leading members of the Iraqi Governing Council in an attempt to derail the political process. As the transitional period approaches we can expect more attacks by those who oppose a stable democratic Iraq. We continue to assist in building the capability of the Iraqi security forces to enable Iraqis to take full responsibility for law and order as early as possible.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further assessment he has made since his memorandum of February 2004 to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of whether detention and treatment of prisoners by the United States in Iraq is in line with their obligations under international law.

Bill Rammell: The US authorities have made clear since their announcement in January of the investigation into allegations of maltreatment of detainees in Abu Ghraib, their determination to investigate such allegations and to punish those found guilty of wrongdoing. The US military is implementing an action plan to improve the treatment of detainees in Iraq. UK Ministers, the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Human Rights in Iraq the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) and officials will continue to discuss with the US further measures which may need to be taken to bring all detention facilities in Iraq up to international standards.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether a decision has been taken to hand over (a) Saddam Hussein and (b) other prominent members of the former regime in Iraq to the jurisdiction of the forthcoming Iraq administration; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Detailed arrangements for the handling of transitional issues, including those raised by this question, are still under discussion. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.

Iraq

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date officials in his Department first became aware of allegations of abuse of Iraqi detainees by British Service personnel in Iraq; and from what source.

Jack Straw: holding answer 19 May 2004
	Officials first became aware of allegations of abuse of Iraqi detainees by British Service personnel in Iraq in April 2003. The allegations against Colonel Tim Collins, which were widely publicised in the media, were investigated and it was found there was no case to answer.

Iraq

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date his Private Office received the telegram of 27 February from the office of the UK Special Representative in Iraq reporting on the meeting the previous day at which the International Committee of the Red Cross formally presented their report on the treatment of detainees in Iraq by the Coalition; on what date he himself was informed about the International Committee of the Red Cross report; and on what date he read it.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 20 May 2004
	On the distribution of the telegram, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 1637W. As the Foreign Secretary said in the House on 11 May 2004, Official Report, column 150, he was made aware of the ICRC report during the weekend of 8 and 9 May, and read it on 10 May.

Iraq

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates (a) officials and (b) Ministers in his Department first received copies of (i) the interim and (ii) the final International Committee of the Red Cross report on the treatment of detainees in Iraq by the Coalition.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 20 May 2004
	The ICRC report of 10 February on "The Treatment by the Coalition Forces of Prisoners of War and Other Protected Persons by the Geneva Conventions in Iraq During Arrest, Internment and Interrogation" (which has been referred to as the interim report) was obtained by a Foreign and Commonwealth Office official on 19 March during a visit to Baghdad. It was not marked for Ministers' attention as MOD action was already in hand on the allegations concerning UK forces. Ministers received copies on 10 May after the report had been leaked to the media on 7 May. At the time the 10 February report was handed over, a further report for the UK Government was promised (which has been referred to as the final report). We expect to receive this some time after the ICRC visit this month to British detention facilities in Iraq.

Iraq

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what records the Government have of the number of Iraqis (a) killed and (b) detained in Iraqi jails since the occupation of Iraq.

Chris Mullin: There is no reliable way of estimating civilian casualties in Iraq. For example, during an engagement, casualties are often taken away before UK forces can determine whether or not they have been fatally wounded. There may be other incidents not witnessed by, or reported to, UK forces. My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary informed the House on 10 May 2004, Official Report, columns 21–24, that the MOD has begun a thorough trawl of unit records to establish the numbers of Iraqis killed in engagements with UK forces.
	The following is the number of prisoners held in Iraqi jails in the UK sector of southern Iraq: Basra—487, Samawah—130, and Nasiriyah—175. We do not have statistics at present for the rest of Iraq although these are being collated by the US military.

Iraq

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens are employed in Iraq in (a) civilian and (b) military posts that involve advising or assisting in the operation of prisons under the control of the occupation powers.

Chris Mullin: Eight UK citizens are employed in Iraq advising and assisting in the operation of Prisons—three are civilians and five are military.
	The UK is responsible for administration of prisons within Multi National Division (SE). All other Iraqi prisons are administered by US personnel. In Coalition Provisional Authority (South), the UK oversees and maintains prisons run by the Iraqi Prison Service through a Prisons Section which comprises three staff—two prisons advisors and an administrator. All these staff mentor Iraqi prison management and officers in the local correctional facilities. In addition, three Military Provost staff are currently assisting with the implementation of a prisons inspection regime in the Southern Region. Additionally, two Territorial Army Officers who are UK Prison Service officers are involved in Security Sector Reform in the prisons. All other staff working in the Correctional Service are Iraqi locals.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US Administration about the recent air strike upon a small village on the Iraqi-Syrian border near Ramadi which resulted in the deaths of 40 people; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The office of the UK Special Representative for Iraq has liaised with the US authorities in Baghdad on this incident. We understand that a US military operation took place close to the Syrian border on 19 May based on intelligence and on a known route for smuggling in foreign fighters. Given the speculation that the attack resulted in civilian deaths the US Commander of the Multinational Force Iraq has ordered an investigation.

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government was aware between 1985 and the start of the Gulf War in 1991 that Iraq had a biological weapons programme .

Chris Mullin: No. The first definitive information on Iraq's biological weapons programme did not emerge until 1995 as a result of UN Special Commission inspections and the defection of Hussein Kamal.

Kashmir

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the relations between India and Pakistan, with particular reference to Kashmir.

Mike O'Brien: I welcome the recent public statements by the new Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh confirming their commitment to strengthen, widen and deepen India's bilateral relations, and to continue the peace process with Pakistan. The Pakistani government has also reaffirmed publicly their continued commitment to improving relations with India and the peace process. We hope the Indian and Pakistani governments will continue to build confidence through peaceful engagement including through early rescheduling of the postponed talks on nuclear Confidence Building Measures and the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus link. We hope that they will not be diverted by the terrorist acts of those seeking to undermine the process, such as the appalling attack on the Indian Border Security Forces that left 30 dead on 23 May. We hope that this process will, in time, lead to the resolution of all their outstanding differences, including over Kashmir.

Kongra-Gel

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the evidential basis was for the decision to add Kongra-Gel to the EU list of terrorist organisations.

Denis MacShane: The European Union decision to freeze the assets of Kadek and Kongra-Gel was based on agreement among member states that Kadek and Kongra-Gel met the criteria (contained in Common Position CFSP/931/2001). This decision was reached having reviewed evidence which demonstrated that there was sufficient continuity between the PKK, Kadek and Kongra-Gel to consider it to be the same organisation and that it remained involved in terrorism.

Leaflet Production (Costs)

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) design costs, (b) production costs, (c) distribution costs and (d) total numbers produced of the leaflet, 'Cambridge and the European Union: what's in it for us?', and all similar publications.

Denis MacShane: The leaflet 'Cambridge and the European Union: what's in it for us?' cost £195 to design and £542 for its print-run of 6,000. Similar leaflets were produced for Nottingham, Lincoln, Edinburgh, Dundee and Liverpool. Total costs for all six leaflets were £1,370 for design and £2,833 for production. 6,000 copies of each were produced. Distribution costs in each case were under £50 per leaflet.

Overseas Employment

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK citizens he estimates are working overseas.

Chris Mullin: We estimate there are some 15.5 million British nationals living abroad, but only a fraction of these have registered with British consulates.

Portable Electrical Equipment

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often since 1997 (a) his Department and (b) its associated public sector organisations have undergone portable appliance testing of IT equipment; and what the cost of portable appliance testing was in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the UK is subcontracted to Mitie Maintenance Ltd. No separate record is kept of the testing of IT equipment.
	Mitie have recorded that they last did a full PAT test on all equipment in the FCO Main Building (King Charles Street), and 1 Carlton Gardens in 2001; and in the Old Admiralty Building in 2002. Costs for this testing are not available.
	A full PAT test on all equipment at the FCO site at Hanslope Park was conducted in 2003 and cost £38,000.
	The British Council similarly does not keep a breakdown of PAT testing by particular types of equipment. However, testing has been undertaken on all equipment on an annual basis in British Council offices in London for the last three years. The costs for each full test were:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02 8,788 
			 2002–03 9,053 
			 2003–04 8,007 
		
	
	The last full portable appliance testing in British Council offices at Bridgewater House, Manchester was in 2002–03. The cost was £4,406.25.
	The last full portable appliance testing in British Council offices in Edinburgh was in 2003–04. The cost was £709.99.
	Details of portable appliance testing in other British Council offices in the UK are not collated centrally at present.
	The BBC World Service test all IT equipment before use and replaces it on a three yearly cycle. The cost of testing per appliance is £7 per item, and the annual total cost of this testing is about £11,000.
	Wilton Park tests all equipment annually. It does not record the cost of testing IT equipment separately. The cost in 2003–04 was £2,200.

Sudan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his colleagues in the European Union in the past month regarding military intervention in Darfur, Sudan.

Chris Mullin: The situation in Darfur was discussed at the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council on 26 April and 17 May. It has also been discussed by the Political and Security Committee, the Africa Working Group and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Working Group.
	The EU is seized of the need to respond to the humanitarian crisis, and is considering how it can provide political, technical and financial support to the African Union-led Cease-fire Commission in Darfur. There has been no discussion of military intervention.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Sudan on the continuing detention of students, with specific reference to the Nyala area.

Chris Mullin: We are very concerned about the reported arrests and harassment of students and others in Nyala, Darfur. Our embassy in Khartoum raised the continued detention of people in Darfur with the Head of the Sudanese Advisory Council for Human Rights on 26 May. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Sudan on the sentences to death of (a) Ali Salih Ahmed and (b) Adam Abdel Rahman Ishag.

Chris Mullin: On 26 May our embassy in Khartoum raised the cases of Ali Salih Ahmed and Adam Abdel Rahman Ishag, who were sentenced to death in Nyala, Darfur on 31 March, with the Head of the Sudanese Advisory Council for Human Rights. We will continue to follow their cases closely.

UK Personnel

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received alleging that UK personnel are involved in providing training in interrogation techniques in Colombia, some of which may be inappropriate; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: No direct representations have been received. We are aware of allegations made in a publication by the British NGO, Justice for Colombia, to this effect. There is no substance to the allegations.

Visas

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many spouses from (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) elsewhere were given entry clearance to come to the UK in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by gender.

Chris Mullin: The information requested is as follows.
	
		Spouses granted entry clearance, FY 2003–04
		
			 Country Male Female 
		
		
			 India 1,067 2,550 
			 Pakistan 3,398 4,523 
			 Elsewhere 6,925 14,643 
		
	
	The table gives the figures, broken down by gender, for the number of spouses granted entry clearance at our diplomatic posts overseas in India, Pakistan and all other visa issuing Posts during the financial year, 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004.

Zimbabwe

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the arrest of the Member of Parliament Roy Bennet following an incident in the Zimbabwean Parliament.

Chris Mullin: Mr. Bennett was briefly detained on 18 May after an incident with ZANU (PF) Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in the Zimbabwean Parliament. The Minister had called Bennett's forefathers "thieves and murderers". Bennett had said that he was unable to forgive the Government of Zimbabwe for acquiring his farm despite six court orders prohibiting this. The incident is to be investigated by the Zimbabwe Parliament's privileges committee, including MPs from both parties.

Zimbabwe

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the threat to safety of members of the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

Chris Mullin: The Government of Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth on 7 December 2003. The Commonwealth Secretary General is not in a position to raise the treatment of political opponents with the Government of Zimbabwe. But Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials remain in close touch with the Commonwealth Secretariat on developments in Zimbabwe. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary continues to raise our concerns about political violence in Zimbabwe with ministers in Europe, the USA, Africa and elsewhere.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Alleged Offenders (Photographs)

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Law Officers have made representations to the Home Office on the police facilitating the publication of photographs of alleged offenders taken at the time of their arrest and before charge through inviting selected journalists to attend at the apprehension of the alleged offenders.

Harriet Harman: The Law Officers have not made any representations to the Home Office on the police facilitating the publication of the photographs of alleged offenders taken at the time of their arrest and before charge through inviting selected journalists to attend at the apprehension of the alleged offenders.

Crown Prosecution Service

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of Merseyside Crown Prosecution Service's Equality and Diversity Action Plan.

Harriet Harman: CPS Merseyside's Equality and Diversity Action Plan aims to: increase the involvement of the Crown Prosecution Service in the local community; ensure decision making in all cases is fair regardless of background; assist staff in understanding and applying equality and diversity issues; provide opportunities to encourage people to join the Crown Prosecution Service and to provide full training for them.
	The action plan is monitored and updated regularly by managers within CPS Merseyside.
	CPS Merseyside has already made significant progress towards these goals. Staff regularly participate in a "Compact Scheme" in schools throughout Liverpool, and recently in Knowsley, in order to assist students to draft applications for employment and with mock interviews. This has proved particularly innovative and successful.
	The population of black and minority ethnic and disabled staff within CPS Merseyside is still slightly below the level within Merseyside's working population and, in order to seek to address this issue, CPS Merseyside staff have recently participated in several initiatives to engage with local minority communities, including: "A Fair Play for Jobs" event in March 2004 held in Toxteth to target the black and minority ethnic communities; and, an "Action for Transition" event at Everton Football Club, to engage with disabled people.
	The area has established a relationship with the Merseyside Racial Harassment Prevention Unit, which has close ties with the local BME communities. The area held a regional launch event for the CPS policy on racist and religious crime for criminal justice agencies and community groups.
	At a recent ceremony at the Liverpool Town Hall to host the CPS National Equality and Diversity Awards, the Director of Public Prosecutions made two awards to staff from CPS Merseyside as representatives of inter-agency groups.

Operation Antler

Robert Key: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will place in the Library the document sent by the Crown Prosecution Service to those questioned in connection with Operation Antler, explaining the Law Officers' decision on prosecutions.

Harriet Harman: Operation Antler is the name given to an investigation into allegations made by ex-Servicemen who volunteered to participate in research experiments at Porton Down. Wiltshire police commenced the investigation in 1999, with the assistance of Ministry of Defence police officers.
	The Crown Prosecution Service wrote to 66 volunteers on 7 July 2003 informing them that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute and that a further letter would follow given detailed reasons for the decision.
	On 18 December 2003, the Crown Prosecution Service wrote to each of the 66 volunteers explaining the reason not to prosecute. Each volunteer received an individual letter discussing the evidence in their particular case and containing personal information such as that volunteer's medical history.
	These letters are private correspondence between the Crown Prosecution Service and the volunteers and have not been placed in the Library. The Crown Prosecution Service has, however, produced an account of the evidence it has considered, the relevant law and its conclusions. A copy of this has been placed in the Library.

TRANSPORT

A249

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when work on the A249 Iwade to Queenborough improvement scheme set out in the Highways Agency Business Plan 2004–05 is expected to start.

Alistair Darling: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport (Mr. Jamieson) attended the Start of Works Ceremony for the A249 Iwade Bypass to Queenborough Improvement Scheme on 29 April 2004 and performed the first stage of the excavation of the foundations for the first pier of the new Swale Bridge. The site is being prepared for the main construction works, which started on 1 June 2004.

A50

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations have been made to the Government Office of the East Midlands concerning the funding for completing the road linking the A50 at the A514 junction at Chellaston with Wilmore Road in Derby.

Tony McNulty: None.

Bedford Park

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the implications are for the Bedford Park Conservation Area in Chiswick of the proposed Crossrail development.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for Cross London Rail Links Ltd. (CLRL), the developer of the proposed scheme. I understand that CLRL is currently developing an Environmental Impact Assessment for areas covered by its route proposals.

Crime (Public Transport)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many crimes were committed on London Underground in each year since 1997; and how many were (a) assaults, (b) of a sexual nature and (c) robberies.

Tony McNulty: The British Transport Police (BTP) have provided the following information on crimes recorded on London Underground in each year since 1998; information is not readily available for earlier than 1998.
	
		
			  Assaults Sexual offences Robberies Passenger trips (million) 
		
		
			 1998–99 4,549 1,214 2,209 866 
			 1999–2000 5,008 1,113 2,456 927 
			 2000–01 4,813 1,040 2,700 970 
			 2001–02 5,061 1,054 3,408 953 
			 2002–03 6,317 1,032 2,304 942 
			 2003–04 7,235 1,156 2,590 947

International Shipping and Ports Security Code

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects any flag carriers to be prevented from entering United Kingdom ports after the International Shipping and Ports Security Code comes into force.

David Jamieson: The International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code requires ships engaged on international voyages to have a verified Ship Security Plan and an International Ship Security Certificate.
	Ships that fail to provide evidence of an International Ship Security Certificate when seeking entry into a UK port will face control measures, which could include denial of entry.
	The decision to refuse a ship entry into a United Kingdom port would not be based solely on the flag carrier.

Montague Report

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the Montague Report; and what the reasons are for the delay in publication.

Tony McNulty: Adrian Montague's detailed advice on the current Crossrail proposals raises complex issues and requires careful consideration against pressures on transport spending, especially on rail. My right hon. Friend will make a statement in due course.

Noise Pollution (Roads)

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on sound-proofing to reduce noise pollution from roads in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: In the last five years the Highways Agency has spent around £429,000 on providing, or making grants for, sound-proofing of residential properties affected by highway works on the strategic road network. The breakdown of this expenditure by year is as follows.
	
		
			  Expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 0 
			 2000–01 3,400 
			 2001–02 205,987 
			 2002–03 121,363 
			 2003–04 98,230 
			 Total 428,980

Oil Transfers (Lyme Bay)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many oil transfers have taken place off the coast of South Devon in Lyme Bay in each of the last 10 years.

David Jamieson: The number of ship-to-ship transfers of oil conducted in Lyme Bay in each of the last 10 years is tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Number of transfers 
		
		
			 1995 0 
			 1996 0 
			 1997 1 
			 1998 0 
			 1999 0 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 4 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 to date 0

Oil Transfers (Lyme Bay)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contingency plans drawn up by Devon, Torbay and Plymouth councils for coping with oil pollution spills; and whether those plans have been assessed in the light of projected levels of future oil transfers in Lyme Bay.

David Jamieson: Every local authority contingency plan is risk assessed against pollution threats to the relevant local authority's area. All contingency plans are also assessed to ensure they are aligned with the UK's National Contingency Plan. The plans of the three councils in question have been exercised in the last 18 months and comply with UK policy.

Oil Transfers (Lyme Bay)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) numerical and (b) percentage change in the number of oil transfers in Lyme Bay he has projected for the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: There is no projection of numbers of ship-to-ship oil transfers in Lyme Bay, as my Department is currently reviewing a number of draft proposals concerning the regulation of ship-to-ship transfer activities within UK territorial seas.

Ports Police

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which UK seaports have their own police forces.

David Jamieson: There are seven ports in England and Wales that have their own police forces. They are:
	Bristol,
	Dover,
	Felixstowe,
	Falmouth,
	Liverpool,
	Tees and Hartlepool, and
	Tilbury.

Ports Police

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish his conclusions on the arrangements for ports police in England and Wales.

David Jamieson: A draft discussion paper on accountability and standards of the port police forces was circulated last year to the Association of Port Police Chief Officers' (APPCO) and the Home Office. Since then the Home Office have consulted on the role of small specialist police forces, including port police forces, in their consultation paper "Policing: Building Safer Communities Together". In addition the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) are now undertaking their own review of port policing. Our conclusions on the arrangements for ports police need to take account of the results of these two exercises, expected later this year.

Ports Police

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to whom ports police forces are accountable.

David Jamieson: Port police forces are accountable to the relevant port authority by virtue of their establishment under Section 79 of the Harbours Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 or the incorporation of that provision into their own legislation.

Rail Service Franchises

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs have been incurred by the Strategic Rail Authority in respect of the tendering process for the (a) Scotrail and (b) Northern franchise; and what the anticipated final costs are in each case.

Tony McNulty: To date, the Strategic Rail Authority has spent £2.8 million tendering the Scotrail franchise, and £2.6 million tendering the Northern franchise. The final cost is expected to be £3.9 million in both cases. The anticipated final costs include prudent provisions for evaluation and completion expenditure.

Rail Service Franchises

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs were incurred by the Strategic Rail Authority in respect of the tendering process for the (a) Greater Anglia, (b) Wales and Borders and (c) TransPennine Express franchise.

Tony McNulty: The full cost incurred by the Strategic Rail Authority in respect of the refranchising process for Greater Anglia was £4.0 million. For Wales and Borders the cost was £3.0 million, and for TransPennine Express £3.8 million.

Rural Transport Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanism the Government plan to use to deliver rural transport policy (a) with reference to the future of the Countryside Agency and (b) following the ending of Rural Bus Challenge.

Tony McNulty: To support the delivery of rural transport policy we are providing funding to local authorities to improve transport services in rural areas through the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant. Since 1998 the Rural Bus Challenge and Countryside Agency funding have been instrumental in pump priming rural transport projects.
	Decisions on the future of the Rural Bus Challenge scheme will be announced following completion of the current review of bus subsidies and the Government's Spending Review. I understand that the future of Countryside Agency funding, which is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, is yet to be decided.
	Other funding sources available to all transport authorities are capital resources made available through the Local Transport Plan system and revenue support for local transport schemes through the Revenue Support Grant System.

Secure Stations Scheme

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what criteria stations need to meet to be designated secure stations under the Secure Stations scheme;
	(2)  how much money has been spent advertising the Secure Stations scheme.

Tony McNulty: The Secure Stations Scheme is designed to improve and standardise good security practices at overground and underground stations. The Scheme awards Secure Stations status to those stations that have worked with their local British Transport Police Crime Reduction Officer to reach specified standards in crime management, station design, station management, and passenger perceptions. Criteria covered include lighting, maintenance procedures, passenger information, incident reporting, and staff training.
	The Department has spent approximately £15,000 on the printing and distribution of the Secure Stations Scheme guidance. The Scheme is also promoted through meetings, presentations, magazine articles, seminars and conferences with relevant interested parties. Accredited stations are also able to advertise the Scheme themselves through local news features and their own publicity materials (e.g. posters, company magazines).

Secure Stations Scheme

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many stations with Secure Station status have subsequently had the designation removed in each year since the scheme's inception;
	(2)  which stations have been designated secure stations under the Secure Stations Scheme.

Tony McNulty: A total of 216 stations have been accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme. Of these, 86 are first time accreditations, 77 have been re-accredited and, as explained as follows, 53 have lapsed. A list of accredited stations has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Approximately two-thirds of all overground rail journeys and approximately one half of all London underground journeys involve passengers starting or finishing their journeys at a Secure Station.
	Stations are awarded Secure Stations status for a two year period once they have met the required accreditation standards on station design, station management, crime management, and passenger perceptions. There is provision for the accreditation to be withdrawn if there is a clear breach of standards during that time. No stations have breached the standards during their accreditation period.
	Accredited stations can apply for reaccreditation after their two-year award period has expired. Although a large number of stations have become reaccredited, 53 stations have not sought reaccreditation and, therefore, their accreditation status has been removed. There were two of these stations during 2000, three during 2001, 21 during 2002, and 27 during 2003.

Sustainable Transport Plan

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress being made on the implementation of a sustainable transport plan.

Tony McNulty: Delivering Better Transport: Progress Report published in December 2002 set out the progress made in delivering the 10-year Plan for Transport in the first 18 months of its life. Some more recent information is also included in the Department's Annual Report, which was published in April 2004.
	We are now reviewing the plan, taking account of events and achievements since its implementation. We will set out how the strategy will be rolled forward to 2015 and beyond after the conclusion of the Spending Review.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Jobseeker's Allowance

Richard Ottaway: How many people did not claim the income-based jobseeker's allowance to which they were entitled in 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: In 2001–02, the latest year for which estimates are available, between 390,000 and 600,000 working-age adults were entitled to, but not in receipt of, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
	These estimates are published in "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2001/2002", copies of which are available in the Library.

Means-tested Benefits

John Barrett: What percentage of pensioners are in receipt of means-tested benefits.

Malcolm Wicks: The latest figures available which relate to the percentage of pensioners in receipt of income related allowances in Great Britain show that, as at May 2002, 27.4 per cent. of the population aged over 60 were in receipt of entitlements which included Income Support, Job Seeker's Allowance and Housing/Council Tax Benefit.
	Our approach is getting money to those who need it most. As at the end of May there were 2.5 million pensioner households in receipt of Pension Credit—over 3 million individuals.
	As a result of measures that this Government have introduced, the poorest third of pensioners are now £1,750 a year—£33 a week—better off than they would have been under the 1997 arrangements.

Pensions

Hugh Bayley: What steps the Government is taking to retain final salary pension schemes for public sector employees.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government places great importance on the value of employer pension provision, but not on any specific type of provision, which must be suited to the specific needs of the employee and employer.
	Where Government is the employer, it aims to provide a remuneration package that includes access to an occupational pension and employer financing towards the accruing costs of those pensions.
	This generally involves providing defined benefit occupational schemes, but defined contribution arrangements may be provided alongside or instead where this is considered to represent value for money.
	Where the Government is not the employer—in the wider public sector and indeed the private sector—our programme of informed choice measures seeks to raise awareness of the value of employer pension provision to ensure that employers take into account the recruitment and retention benefits which they can enjoy from providing and contributing to pensions.

Pensions

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of (a) public and (b) private sector employees are members of final salary pension schemes; and what the percentages were in 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The information on employment shown in the table has been obtained from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), and refers to all people who are aged 16 or over and in employment. Figures have been rounded. The information on pension scheme members (also rounded) has been obtained from the Occupational Pension Schemes Survey (OPSS), Government Actuary's Department.
	These are the two most appropriate sources, but unfortunately the GAD survey data is only available for 1995 and 2000 in recent years.
	The information on scheme membership refers to Defined Benefit (DB) schemes, which may include salary related schemes that are not necessarily final salary schemes. Data for final salary schemes specifically is not available.
	It should be noted that in calculating the percentage of employees who are members of DB pension schemes, two different data sources (LFS and OPSS) have been used. The percentages should, therefore, be treated as estimates only. For instance, one reason for caution is that the OPSS data is a snapshot of information relating to the year as a whole, while the LFS data presented here relates to the winter period (December to February) of each year.
	
		
			  Private sector Public sector All 
		
		
			 Employment (millions) 
			 Winter 1995 19.4 6.2 25.6 
			 Winter 2000 20.9 6.3 27.2 
			 
			 DB scheme members (millions) 
			 1995 5.2 4.1 9.3 
			 2000 4.6 4.5 9.1 
			 
			 Percentage of employed people who are members of DB schemes 
			 1995 27 66 36 
			 2000 22 71 33

Pensions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the minimum amount awarded through the Pension Credit scheme is; whether small amounts are rolled up until reaching a certain value before being sent out; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A pension credit award of less than 10 pence per week is not payable unless payment can be combined with another benefit. Pension credit is normally paid weekly, but an award of less than £1 per week may be paid quarterly unless payment can be combined with another benefit.

Asbestos

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what powers are available to control asbestos and asbestos-containing products on or in domestic premises which may involve a risk to the general public; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Smith: The supply and use of asbestos and asbestos containing products are banned under the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992, as amended in 1999.
	The duty to manage asbestos, regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002, applies to the common parts of domestic premises—areas used in common by the 'occupants of more than one private dwelling', as defined in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Sure Start Maternity Grant

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workers in Blackpool North and Fleetwood have received the Sure Start maternity grant.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the tables.
	
		Sure Start Maternity Grants for Blackpool Social Fund District by qualifying benefit
		
			  Awards 
			  Income support Jobseekers allowance (income based) Tax credit Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 625 75 327 1,027 
			 2001–02 607 67 499 1,173 
			 2002–03 690 62 639 1,391 
			 2003(7) 50 6 53 109 
		
	
	(7) April.
	
		Sure Start Maternity Grants for area covered by Lancashire West Jobcentre Plus District by qualifying benefit
		
			  Awards 
			  Income support Jobseekers allowance (income based) Tax credit Total 
		
		
			 2003(8) 1,640 229 1,841 3,710 
			 2004(9) 142 17 135 294 
		
	
	(8) May to March.
	(9)April.
	Notes:
	1. Blackpool North and Fleetwood Parliamentary Constituency used to be part of Blackpool Social Fund District. In May 2003, Blackpool Social Fund District was combined with Preston Social Fund District and parts of South West Lancashire and, Lancaster and South Cumbria Social Fund Districts to form Lancashire West Jobcentre Plus District. The two areas for which data is given above are therefore different, so the data is not comparable.
	2. Prior to 2003–04, tax credits refer to Working Families' Tax Credit and Disabled Person's Tax Credit. From 2003–04, tax credits refer to Child Tax Credit payable at a rate higher than the family element and Working Tax Credit where the disability or severe disability element is included in the award.
	3. Where a Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG) is awarded and the applicant or partner is in receipt of both IS and Child Tax Credit at the appropriate rate, the SSMG award is usually recorded under Income Support (IS). Similarly, where a SSMG is awarded and the applicant or partner is in receipt of both Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-Based) and Child Tax Credit at the appropriate rate, the SSMG award is usually recorded under JSA(IB).
	4. Sure Start Maternity Grants were introduced on 27 March 2000. The very small number of cases for 1999–2000 have been excluded for data protection reasons.
	Source:
	DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Sure Start Maternity Grant

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Bootle have taken up the Sure Start maternity grant.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the table.
	
		Sure Start maternity grants for area covered by Knowsley and Sefton Jobcentre Plus District
		
			  Applications Awards 
		
		
			 2000–01 2,076 1,867 
			 2001–02 2,270 2,002 
			 2002–03 2,714 2,254 
			 2003–04 2,870 2,313 
			 2004 April 201 154 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Bootle parliamentary constituency is part of Knowsley and Sefton Jobcentre Plus District, which was formed by merging Knowsley Social Fund District and Sefton Social Fund District in October 2003. For comparison purposes, data before the merger are given for Knowsley Social Fund District and Sefton Social Fund District combined.
	2. Sure Start maternity grants were introduced on 27 March 2000. There were no cases for 1999–2000.
	3. Data are given for all applications and awards, irrespective of whether the application was made by the mother or her partner.
	Source:
	DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Carers

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will increase the amount which carers are allowed to earn without affecting their benefit.

Maria Eagle: We want to encourage carers to combine work and caring where possible. Carers are able to earn £79 a week, after allowable expenses. These expenses can include tax, national insurance contributions and half of the contributions to an occupational pension scheme. as, in some cases, help with cost of substitute care. It is therefore possible for a carer to earn well in excess of £79 per week and be entitled to carer's allowance. The earnings limit moves each year in line with the lower earnings limit for national insurance purposes.

Child Support Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what date has been set for all existing Child Support Agency assessments to be made using the new assessment criteria system.

Chris Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.

Child Support Agency

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to re-examine the use of statutory rates of interest for child support departures or variations where a parent has assets;
	(2)  what evidence he has collated to support his Department's assumption that the assets of non-resident parents have achieved the long-term sustainable interest rate of 8 per cent., net of tax, during the last five years.

Chris Pond: We have no plans to re-examine the use of the statutory rate of interest in such cases. We are satisfied that the use of this rate provides a reasonable and simple basis for ensuring that children receive maintenance which reflects the financial standing of the non-resident parent.

Circus Performers (North-West)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies he estimates there are in the North West for (a) tightrope walkers, (b) jugglers, (c) stilts performers, (d) unicyclists and (e) other circus performers; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is not available by specific occupational type or area. However, a search of the Labour Market System on 27 May 2004 revealed that there were four vacancies nationwide for people with circus skills. Of these one, for a circus skills assistant, was in the Manchester area.
	Jobcentre Plus provides high quality services to employers, helping them to fill job vacancies quickly and effectively with well-prepared and motivated employees. Jobcentre Plus handles over 10,000 job vacancies every working day and takes vacancies from all employers as long as the work complies with current legislation.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when a letter will be sent to the hon. Member for Walsall, North in reply to his letter of 28 April, addressed to the Chief Executive, The Pension Service, regarding a constituent, ref. RFE/BRLPR/2747BWY.

Malcolm Wicks: The hon. Member's letter dated 28 April 2004 addressed to the Chief Executive of the Pension Service was received on 30 April. The Pension Service wrote to the hon. Member on 6 May advising that they had arranged for the correspondence to be forwarded to the Group Finance Director.
	The Group Finance Director endeavours to reply to correspondence within 20 working days of receiving that correspondence. A reply was issued on 27 May 2004.

Council Tax Benefit

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was claimed in council tax benefit in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

Chris Pond: The information is in the table.
	
		Council tax benefit expenditure -- £ million
		
			 Government office region 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 North East 139.1 144.1 151.7 155.5 160.7 170.9 
			 North West 367.1 373.9 380.8 383.0 394.0 402.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 204.9 213.2 217.3 221.6 231.9 242.1 
			 East Midlands 139.0 146.7 154.2 159.7 164.9 183.0 
			 West Midlands 229.5 233.0 243.8 252.5 267.1 282.0 
			 East of England 161.1 167.5 176.1 182.1 191.4 209.0 
			 London 399.3 383.6 380.1 389.3 414.9 436.1 
			 South East 216.0 221.1 230.0 234.6 246.7 267.7 
			 South West 157.6 163.5 169.1 172.7 178.6 192.2 
			 Wales 94.1 103.3 108.2 119.0 123.7 130.8 
			 Scotland 287.0 302.7 306.6 310.0 315.6 321.5 
			 Total 2,394.7 2,452.6 2,517.8 2,579.9 2,689.3 2,838.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.
	2. Expenditure figures for 1997/98 to 2001/02 are final outturn figures supplied by local authorities in 'final audited' subsidy claims. The figures for 2002–03 are the latest available estimated outturn figures, provided by local authorities in their 'initial final' subsidy claims, and are subject to revision in the 'final audited' claims.
	3. Figures are total yearly amounts paid to beneficiaries, regardless of the source of funding. They include payments subsidised by DWP, those funded through local authorities Housing Revenue Accounts, spending financed by the National Asylum Support Service and benefit spending financed from local authorities' general funds.

Income Support

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many income support claimants there were in each Jobcentre Plus district in England in the latest month for which figures are available; and what funds are available in each district for (a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans and (c) crisis loans.

Chris Pond: There are no separate budgets for budgeting loans and crisis loans, but a combined gross loans budget for both. The 2004–05 district budgets for community care grants and for gross loans (organised by Government Office Region) are available in the Library.
	The income support information is in the table.
	
		Income support claimants in England by Jobcentre Plus district—November 2003
		
			 Jobcentre Plus District Income Support Claimants 
		
		
			 England 1,829,800 
			 Barnsley and Rotherham 21,400 
			 Bedfordshire 16,400 
			 Berkshire 17,100 
			 Birmingham and Solihull 64,100 
			 Bolton and Bury 19,200 
			 Bradford 23,500 
			 Bucks and Oxfordshire 26,000 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 22,500 
			 Cambridgeshire 17,600 
			 Cheshire 22,600 
			 City of Sunderland 15,300 
			 Cornwall 15,100 
			 County Durham 23,200 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 25,300 
			 Cumbria 14,900 
			 Derbyshire 32,100 
			 Devonshire 33,800 
			 Doncaster 13,000 
			 Dorset 17,900 
			 Dudley and Sandwell 24,700 
			 Essex 47,400 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 19,000 
			 Gloucestershire 13,400 
			 Greater Nottingham 25,200 
			 Hampshire 43,900 
			 Herefordshire and Worcestershire 16,500 
			 Hertfordshire 23,800 
			 Hull and East Riding 23,800 
			 Kent 49,000 
			 Knowsley and Sefton 26,700 
			 Lancashire East 25,000 
			 Lancashire West 32,900 
			 Leeds 26,400 
			 Leicestershire 26,200 
			 Lincolnshire 18,400 
			 Liverpool 42,000 
			 London Central North East 54,100 
			 London Central North West 45,700 
			 London Central South 47,800 
			 London East 38,500 
			 London North 43,400 
			 London North West 30,100 
			 London South 38,100 
			 London South East 34,700 
			 London West 33,000 
			 Manchester 38,500 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 24,600 
			 Norfolk 22,600 
			 North Nottinghamshire 15,600 
			 North Yorkshire 15,900 
			 Northamptonshire 16,200 
			 Northumberland 10,200 
			 Oldham and Rochdale 21,500 
			 Salford and Trafford 20,700 
			 Sheffield 22,800 
			 Shropshire 11,900 
			 Somerset 12,700 
			 South Humberside 11,000 
			 St. Helens and Halton 16,600 
			 Staffordshire 34,100 
			 Stockport and Tameside 18,100 
			 Suffolk 16,800 
			 Surrey 17,700 
			 Sussex 42,300 
			 Tees Valley 34,300 
			 Wakefield 13,100 
			 West of England 34,300 
			 Wigan 11,600 
			 Wiltshire 13,200 
			 Wirral 17,700 
			 Wolverhampton and Walsall 23,700 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling variation.
	3. November 2003 figures exclude income support MIG claimants who transferred to pension credit with effect from October 2003.
	4. November 2003 figures are slightly higher than the publication due to the addition of clerical cases which were not available at the time of publication.
	5. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	6. Jobcentre Plus is reorganising from 90 districts in Great Britain to 74 between April 2004 and April 2006. Since the figures in the table are at November 2003, the districts shown are prior to reorganisation, when there were 71 Jobcentre Plus districts in England.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample

Mr. Graham Cotton

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Mr. Graham Cotton of Olton in Solihull, a Qa pensioner, would be eligible for compensation under the provisions of the Pensions Bill.

Malcolm Wicks: It is not yet possible to say exactly who will be eligible for help through the proposed financial assistance scheme provision of the Pensions Bill. This is a difficult and complex area and, as explained at Report stage of the Bill on 19 May, we shall be working on the detail over the coming months, in consultation with interested parties, to ensure that the scheme is workable and provides appropriate levels of assistance to the right people. Eligibility of individuals will depend on the detailed design of the scheme and the circumstances of particular schemes and scheme members.

Pension Protection Fund

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contribution the Government will make to the Pension Protection Fund in lieu of any contribution under the current guaranteed minimum pension arrangements.

Malcolm Wicks: When an eligible scheme enters the PPF, and it is a contracted-out occupational pension scheme, the PPF will not take on specific responsibility for paying the guaranteed minimum pension. This is to simplify the PPF rules in relation to entitlement to compensation.
	However, the level of compensation payable will be significant, and reflect the individual scheme rules. PPF will pay 100 per cent. level of compensation to members who are over their pension scheme's normal pension age (NPA) and 90 per cent. level to members below their pension scheme's NPA, subject to a benefit cap.
	The basic benefits for members below NPA will reflect the following:
	NPA;
	accrual rate;
	pensionable salary; and
	pensionable service

Pension Schemes

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what inquiries he has made about the wind-up of the Warwick and Debenholt pension schemes since 19 April 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are aware of these three pension schemes. The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority investigated these schemes and published a report with their findings. Opra found that there were breaches of the Pensions Act 1995. The two trustees of the schemes were disqualified from acting as trustees of any occupational pension scheme and were fined.
	One of the schemes has been wound up and Opra has continued to monitor the other two schemes as they are being wound up by the independent trustee. There have also been complaints made to the Pensions Ombudsman regarding these two schemes, which the Ombudsman is considering.
	The Government are sympathetic to all members of final salary occupational pension schemes that will not receive the pensions they worked to build up for their future retirement.
	It is because of these situations that the Government are introducing, from April 2005, the Pension Protection Fund which will mean that members of final salary schemes based in the UK can rest assured that they will always receive a meaningful pension in future, even if their employer goes bust and leaves the pension scheme underfunded.

Pension Schemes

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what inquiries he has made about the wind-up of the Cheney pension schemes since 19 April 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We continue to take an interest in the Cheney pension scheme. However, as this case is still subject to ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further at this time.

Pension Schemes

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the pension schemes which have come forward so far to claim compensation under the proposed fund to compensate people who have lost their pensions through pension wind-ups.

Malcolm Wicks: No schemes or members have been invited to claim assistance from the financial assistance scheme proposed in the Pensions Bill. As explained at Report stage of the Bill on 19 May, we are currently working on the detail of the scheme.
	In the meantime, we have been collecting data on schemes that are winding up, or that have wound up, to establish firm estimates of the numbers affected and the extent of the problem. We shall lay a report on the results of this exercise by the end of June. As this exercise was conducted in confidence, the data published will be collated and not identified with any individual scheme.

Post Office Card Account

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to make it easier for benefit claimants to open a Post Office card account.

Chris Pond: The process for opening a Post Office card account is already a straightforward one and over 3 million customers have so far said they want to open one.
	We have already made some improvements to the Post Office card account process where real problems have been identified and continue to closely monitor its operation. We want to make further changes which would include less form-filling and a straightforward process for customers getting account details back to DWP via their postmaster.

RNIB (Tactile Markings)

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made, following representations by the Royal National Institute for the Blind, regarding the provision of tactile markings that will be issued as part of the Department's exception scheme to facilitate blind and partially sighted people's identification of them amongst other postal items they might receive.

Chris Pond: Many blind and partially sighted people have no problems using cash machines or the PIN pads at Post Offices.
	We will use cheque payments for those who we are unable to pay into any sort of account.
	We want to ensure that cheque payments meet the needs of blind and partially sighted people in these circumstances and I have met the RNIB on a number of occasions to discuss this.
	We carefully considered the RNIB's suggestion to include tactile markings on cheques. But such markings would make cheques more easily identifiable and, therefore, more susceptible to theft before they reach the customer. Cheques with such markings would take longer to process through the banks' clearing system.
	However, we are continuing to work closely with RNIB. And if security and other technological improvements make this a viable option in the future then we will, of course, look again at the provision of tactile markings on payment cheques.

Sure Start

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when Sure Start maternity grant leaflets were distributed to Job Centre Plus local offices; and what steps he has taken to ensure that (a) all Job Centre Plus local offices were supplied with leaflets from the start of the scheme and (b) staff were fully briefed about it.

Chris Pond: The "Good News for Babies" leaflet was produced in March 2000 when the Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG) replaced the Maternity Payment. Over 440,000 leaflets were distributed to local offices using the Department's internal distribution network. The leaflet was also available on the DSS/DWP website. In addition a number of other departmental leaflets were revised to include information on SSMGs and were available to local offices from April 2000.
	Staff dealing with the Social Fund and those with customer contact were briefed in advance of the proposed SSMG scheme in November 1999. A detailed procedural bulletin, covering initial training and guidance, was issued on 16 February 2000. The Social Fund new entrant training was also amended to include SSMG procedures by April 2000.

Unemployment Benefits

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by Government in real terms on unemployment benefits in each of the last 25 years.

Chris Pond: The information requested is in the tables.
	
		£ million real terms 2004–05 prices
		
			  Unemployment benefit Supplementary benefit/income support paid to the unemployed Jobseeker's allowance (contribution based) Jobseeker's allowance (income based) Total 
		
		
			 1979–80 2,091 1,675 — — 3,766 
			 1980–81 3,469 2,152 — — 5,621 
			 1981–82 4,211 3,741 — — 7,953 
			 1982–83 3,467 5,932 — — 9,399 
			 1983–84 3,308 7,195 — — 10,503 
			 1984–85 3,314 7,832 — — 11,146 
			 1985–86 3,166 8,396 — — 11,562 
			 1986–87 3,348 8,372 — — 11,720 
			 1987–88 2,684 7,286 — — 9,971 
			 1988–89 1,892 5,205 — — 7,097 
			 1989–90 1,171 4,201 — — 5,372 
			 1990–91 1,287 4,352 — — 5,639 
			 1991–92 2,238 5,861 — — 8,099 
		
	
	Note:
	The GDP deflator used to convert figures to real terms was published at Budget.
	
		
			  Unemployment benefit Supplementary benefit/income support paid to the unemployed Jobseeker's allowance (contribution based) Jobseeker's allowance (income based) Total 
		
		
			 1992–93 2,378 7,268 — — 9,646 
			 1993–94 2,172 7,546 — — 9,718 
			 1994–95 1,684 6,718 — — 8,402 
			 1995–96 1,388 6,074 — — 7,462 
			 1996–97 715 2,872 405 2,232 6,223 
			 1997–98 — — 564 4,059 4,623 
			 1998–99 — — 547 3,558 4,106 
			 1999–2000 — — 518 3,157 3,675 
			 2000–01 — — 498 2,714 3,213 
			 2001–02 — — 510 2,320 2,830 
			 2002–03 — — 545 2,214 2,760 
			 2003–04(10) — — 543 2,074 2,617 
		
	
	(10) 2004 figures are in 2004–05 prices.
	Notes:
	1. Supplementary benefit for the unemployed was replaced by income support for the unemployed in April 1988.
	2. Unemployment benefit and income support for the unemployed were replaced by jobseeker's allowance contribution based and jobseeker's allowance income based in October 1996.
	3. Totals may not sum due to rounding to nearest million.
	4. Figures for 2003–04 are estimated outturn.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received winter fuel payments in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in each of the last three years; and what the value of such payment was in each case.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Total number of payments made 2001–02 Total value of payments made 2001–02 (£) Total number of payments made 2002–03 Total value of payments made 2002–03 (£) Total number of payments made 2003–04 Total value of payments made 2003–04 (£) 
		
		
			 Greater London boroughs 1,080,395 170,852,000 1,082,400 171,508,800 1,071,295 190,250,250 
			
			 Inner London—West 124,715 21,023,800 124,865 21,126,400 123,170 23,341,150 
			 Camden 25,835 4,368,700 25,815 4,391,600 25,470 4,864,300 
			 City of London 1,035 173,300 1,060 179,000 1,055 200,300 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 19,765 3,336,400 19,785 3,356,100 19,470 3,677,850 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 18,385 3,125,000 18,740 3,202,100 18,670 3,565,600 
			 Wandsworth 33,805 5,568,700 33,525 5,535,900 32,950 6,106,700 
			 Westminster 25,890 4,451,700 25,940 4,461,700 25,560 4,926,400 
			
			 Inner London—East 215,230 36,173,500 214,035 36,077,500 210,295 39,181,800 
			 Hackney 22,055 3,832,600 21,985 3,827,800 21,505 4,139,300 
			 Haringey 26,820 4,469,800 26,965 4,489,800 26,670 4,868,550 
			 Islington 22,435 3,821,300 22,335 3,815,800 22,090 4,159,600 
			 Lambeth 30,145 5,061,100 29,990 5,058,500 29,575 5,494,950 
			 Lewisham 34,225 5,512,000 34,235 5,542,800 33,720 6,083,300 
			 Newham 27,320 4,601,900 26,955 4,549,100 26,460 4,929,750 
			 Southwark 29,570 4,945,700 29,295 4,914,600 28,650 5,348,800 
			 Tower Hamlets 22,665 3,929,100 22,275 3,879,100 21,625 4,157,550 
			
			 Outer London—East and North East 271,755 41,566,700 271,850 41,651,200 269,280 46,476,450 
			 Barking and Dagenham 27,895 4,353,900 27,495 4,300,800 26,685 4,748,500 
			 Bexley 43,185 6,397,800 43,565 6,462,600 43,560 7,257,900 
			 Enfield 46,030 7,101,100 46,205 7,147,500 45,810 7,952,100 
			 Greenwich 33,235 5,251,400 33,015 5,227,400 32,475 5,831,500 
			 Havering 48,705 7,123,000 48,990 7,161,900 49,070 8,043,250 
			 Redbridge 40,285 6,151,000 40,290 6,179,900 39,905 6,924,350 
			 Waltham Forest 32,415 5,188,500 32,285 5,171,100 31,770 5,718,850 
			
			 Outer London—South 198,030 30,024,300 199,130 30,249,000 197,990 33,973,000 
			 Bromley 60,840 9,014,900 61,515 9,135,000 61,385 10,319,950 
			 Croydon 52,710 8,087,300 52,990 8,143,800 52,860 9,081,600 
			 Kingston upon Thames 23,830 3,630,900 23,910 3,644,200 23,650 4,118,500 
			 Merton 28,405 4,402,300 28,395 4,418,500 27,945 4,922,950 
			 Sutton 32,245 4,888,900 32,320 4,907,500 32,145 5,530,000 
			
			 Outer London—West and North West 270,665 42,063,700 272,520 42,404,700 270,565 47,277,850 
			 Barnet 52,855 8,092,200 53,315 8,161,800 52,875 9,240,050 
			 Brent 36,155 5,819,800 36,670 5,903,700 36,540 6,457,700 
			 Ealing 42,475 6,756,300 42,710 6,796,200 42,350 7,509,800 
			 Harrow 36,930 5,627,800 37,250 5,691,800 37,215 6,399,350 
			 Hillingdon 41,930 6,316,800 42,055 6,350,800 41,710 7,091,050 
			 Hounslow 31,320 4,941,700 31,455 4,968,000 31,090 5,470,250 
			 Richmond upon Thames 29,000 4,509,100 29,065 4,532,400 28,780 5,109,650 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	3. Figures for 2003–04 are the latest available.
	4. Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample

Winter Fuel Allowance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cut-off date is for eligibility for the winter heating allowance; and whether he has any plans to change the eligibility criteria.

Malcolm Wicks: The cut off date for eligibility for the winter fuel payment is the last day of the third week in September each year, for the 2004–05 winter it is 26 September 2004. There are no current plans to change the eligibility criteria for winter fuel payments.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the irrigation projects in Afghanistan that receive financial assistance from his Department.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not support any irrigation projects in Afghanistan. DFID's support in Afghanistan is focused on public administration reform and economic management; livelihoods development; security sector reform; and humanitarian support. This is in line with the Afghan Government's request that each donor focus their support on areas where they have a comparative advantage.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of deaths in Herat, Afghanistan since 1 January.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Factional fighting broke out in Herat following the assassination of Aviation Minister Mirwais Sadiq in March. Initial reports suggested the death toll to be near to 100 though further investigation revealed the figures to be closer to 10. There is limited capacity for monitoring and data collection in Afghanistan, and the number of deaths from other causes since 1 January is unclear.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much money has been (a) allocated for and (b) spent by his Department on development aid to Afghanistan in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how much money from his Department has been (a) allocated for and (b) spent on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in each of the last three years.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: In immediate response to the humanitarian need in financial year 2001–02 DFID spent £46.4 million on humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.
	At the Tokyo conference in January 2002 DFID pledged £200 million over 5 years from 2002–03. Since then DFID have allocated £75 million per year for Afghanistan and disbursed £75.8 million in 2002–03 and £77.6 million in 2003–04. The breakdown between humanitarian and reconstruction assistance is shown as follows.
	
		£ million
		
			 Financial year Humanitarian assistance Reconstruction assistance 
		
		
			 2002–03 44.7 31.1 
			 2003–04 8.1 69.5 
		
	
	At the Berlin conference on Afghanistan in April this year, the UK Government increased its Tokyo pledge to at least £500 million.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in how many areas of Afghanistan the National Solidarity Programme is distributing aid.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The National Solidarity Programme is distributing aid in 96 districts (three in each of the 32 provinces).

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the level of voter registration in Afghanistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: According to the latest UN figures from May 29, 2.9 million voters have registered so far from an estimated 10.4 million electorate.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the UK- based non-governmental organisations working in Afghanistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: There are 33 UK-based non-governmental organisations currently working in Afghanistan. They are:
	Actionaid
	Afghanaid
	Aid International/Mercy Corps
	British Red Cross
	CAFOD
	CARE International
	Children in Crisis
	Christian Aid
	Concern Worldwide
	Cord
	Focus Humanitarian (Europe)
	GOAL
	Hope Worldwide
	Islamic Relief
	Learning for Life
	Marie Stopes International
	Medecins sans Frontieres
	Ockenden International
	Oxfam
	Save the Children UK
	Tearfund
	Trocaire
	War Child
	World Vision
	Halo Trust
	(HMD) Response International
	IPPF
	Jacob's Well Appeal
	Medair UK,
	Medecins du Monde
	Muslim Hands
	Merlin
	Womankind Worldwide.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many aid projects funded by his Department have been discontinued in Afghanistan.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has not discontinued any projects in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what written representations from aid donors he has received on humanitarian conditions in Afghanistan; and if he will publish those representations.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is provided with monthly updates on the humanitarian situation by the British Agencies Afghanistan Group. DFID also receive regular updates and requests for support from the various branches of the United Nations. DFID are presently considering the annual appeal for 2004 from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. All of these documents are publicly available.

Bananas

George Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what pressure the Department has put on negotiations to seek a positive outcome for Caribbean banana producers in the World Trade Organisation discussions on bananas.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: As part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) settlement with the USA and Ecuador reached in 2001, the EU is committed to the removal of quota restrictions on banana imports by the end of 2005. Further WTO negotiations will be needed to determine how the existing quotas are converted into tariffs.
	The UK recognises the importance of the banana trade to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) exporters. DFID firmly believes that the inevitable changes to the banana regime must be phased at a rate that allows their economies to adjust.
	Defra and European Commission officials met earlier this year to discuss the matter. Further representations will be made as necessary, when the Commission seeks a mandate from member states for proposals on a tariff-only import regime to submit to the WTO.
	As a separate issue, the existing waiver under WTO rules allowing the EU to provide tariff preferences for the ACP countries expires in 2007 and is to be replaced by the development of Economic Partnership Agreements. The terms for these are currently under negotiation. The UK is taking a close interest.

Children and Young People Unit

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress his Department is making in producing an action plan for children and young people in association with the Children and Young People Unit.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has been working with the Children, Young People's and Families Directorate of the DFES for the past year, examining how to enable children and young people to participate in our work. The DFID Action Plan on Children and Young People's Participation will be published in June. DFID has been consulting children and young people about our work for a number of years and there are many examples of this work outlined in the Action Plan.

China

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the loss of farming land in China over the last 10 years.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The majority of the 140 million remaining rural poor in China live in environmentally fragile and remote areas and are heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods. The Department for International Development (DFID) has, and is working to develop, a number of activities in China which seek to address aspects of rural poverty, including those related to agriculture.
	Official statistics from the Ministry of Land and Resources in China indicate that current available arable land area is 123 million ha, or 12.8 per cent. of the total. The area of land for grain production is reported to have declined from 98 to 76 million ha from 1998 to 2003. DFID does not have equivalent figures for total arable land.
	DFID currently provides financial support to a high-level policy body established by the State Council—the China Council for International Co-operation on Environment and Development. It currently has a task force that is looking specifically at agriculture and rural development, including evaluating the change in agricultural land availability. Their results will contribute to monitoring recent trends in land loss and developing approaches to address it. Recent reports from this group indicate that there have been periods of rapid reduction in the available area of land for agriculture over the past 20 years but that there are regional differences. The rate of loss per capita has increased from 0.6 per cent. in 1998 to 2.8 per cent. in 2003. Many academics believe that the overall loss is less than that reported in official statistics. The losses are thought to have resulted mainly from the growth of urban areas and construction, and the conversion of land to forests.

Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of the consultants used by his Department since 1997 have been based in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the United States and (c) the recipient country for the project.

Hilary Benn: The following figures are in respect of contracts awarded by DFID's Procurement Group since April 2001. DFID does not keep information in the format requested for low value contracts issued by overseas offices or contracts awarded prior to April 2001 and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Number of suppliers(11) UK USA Other 
		
		
			 2003–04 350 282 16 52 
			 2002–03 406 332 16 58 
			 2001–02 497 483 2 12 
		
	
	(11) Some individual suppliers were awarded more than one contract

Consultants

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on the use of consultants in each year since 1997.

Hilary Benn: Expenditure on consultancy services is recorded in "Statistics on International Development", Table 12. A copy of this publication is available in the Library of the House.

Crisis Management

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with (a) the Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management Unit and (b) the Policy Planning and Early Warning Unit of the European Union about the links between environmental degradation, poverty, food security and conflict.

Hilary Benn: As Secretary of State I have had no direct discussions with these Units. However, DFID officials have been working with EU officials in these areas. One important aspect of discussion has been the European Security Strategy (ESS). The ESS sets out a strategic vision for the European Union's role in tackling global security threats using the range of instruments it has available. Effective implementation of this is a key priority for the European Union.
	DFID and EC Officials are actively engaged in a multi-donor Poverty-Environment Partnership that has been producing guidance; and are also working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on a Poverty-Environment Initiative that seeks innovative solutions in five developing countries.

Departmental Budget

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in his Department's administration budget by 2008 announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the public spending settlements for 2006–08 to be announced in detail later this year.

Departmental Budget

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the budget of his Department was (a) allocated and (b) spent in the last quarter of the financial year in each of the last seven years.

Hilary Benn: DFID does not keep information on the proportion of the budget allocated by quarter. The proportion of the total DFID budget (excluding EC Attribution) spent in the last quarter is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1997–98 41 
			 1998–99 38 
			 1999–2000 46 
			 2000–01 35 
			 2001–02 35 
			 2002–03 31 
			 2003–04 (12)29 
		
	
	(12) Provisional figure

Departmental Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff were employed in the Department to work in the communications field, and what the total expenditure on communications for the Department was, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others, in (A) 1994–95, (B) 1996–97, (C) 1997–98 and (D) 2001–02.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not keep central records of all staff working on communications across the Department and this information could not be gathered without incurring a disproportionate cost for the years specified. Information on the press office is available from 1996–97 and is set out as follows.
	
		
			  Number of press officers Annual cost (£) 
		
		
			 1996–97 6 195,000 
			 1997–98 6 243,000 
			 1998–99 4 240,000 
			 1999–2000 3.3 100,000 
			 2000–01 4.5 150,000 
			 2001–02 4 148,000 
		
	
	The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of Special Advisers are given on an annual basis. Information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.

East Timor

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the implications for the development of East Timor of the activities of pro-Indonesian militias along the border with West Timor.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The situation continues to be monitored by both Indonesia and East Timor and by the UN Mission of Support for East Timor (UNMISET). Efforts are being made to defuse remaining animosities. Advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is that activity by former militia force members along the border with Indonesian West Timor does not present a threat to the development of East Timor.

East Timor

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support is provided by his Department to the United Nations Mission in Support of East Timor.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID has provided an expert to assist the United Nations Mission with work to build Government capacity. DFID also makes a small contribution through UK Government pooled funds to security sector reform, peace building and reconciliation. DFID's main support to East Timor is the £12 million provided through the World Bank to assist implementation of the National Development Plan.

East Timor

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the Government of East Timor about the measures needed for the country to deliver economic self-sufficiency.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: I met with Prime Minister Alkatiri in June 2003 and President Gusmao in October 2003. We discussed the successful management of the economy since independence, and the many remaining challenges, including work to address capacity constraints, and action to prioritise their limited funds (until the expected oil and gas revenues come on line in 2007–08).

East Timor

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's contribution to the National Development Plan in East Timor is in respect of (a) education, (b) health, (c) agriculture and (d) infrastructure.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is contributing £12 million between 2002–05 to help implement the East Timor National Development Plan through a donor pool managed by the World Bank. The Plan includes support for all government activities, including education, health, agriculture and infrastructure. The DFID contribution is not earmarked to any particular sectors.

East Timor

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the implications of the Australia-Indonesia agreement of 1972 on maritime boundaries for the economic development of East Timor.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID is aware that East Timor is engaged in negotiations on boundaries with both Australia and Indonesia. The implications of the 1972 Australia–Indonesia agreement are a matter for the parties to the current negotiations. DFID has not made a separate assessment.

Honours

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much time his Department spent dealing with honours in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by civil service grade.

Hilary Benn: DFID's departmental honours team undertakes the majority of the work on honours. Information is not available on time spent on honours related work, by departmental staff who are not members of the Department's honours team.
	The Department for International Development honours team spent a total of 138 days (1,100 staff hours) on honours work, during the year April 2003 to March 2004.
	The DFID honours team, chaired by the Permanent Secretary, includes staff at the following grades:
	4senior civil servants
	1grade 7
	1higher executive officer
	1administrative assistant

Iraq

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his Department's contribution to tourism development in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: As part of a-wider plan of development assistance to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Southern Iraq, DFID has funded a secondee who, working in close partnership with the Iraqis is supporting the identification of basic infrastructure requirements for sustainable development in the tourism an heritage sector; taking forward the Archaeological Sites Protection Project in the Southern Provinces; and facilitating the re-establishment of the Al Merbad Festival, a folklore festival initiated 1,600 years ago, and effectively stopped under the previous regime. This secondment has just been completed.
	The Ministry of Culture and Tourism was one of the first Iraqi Government Departments to return to autonomous control, and this technical assistance will help the Iraqi Government respond quickly to the needs of the sector.

Official Vehicles

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of official vehicles used by his Department are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The Government as a whole have signed up to various targets for improving the performance of their own vehicle fleet, details of which, together with reports on each Department's progress towards these targets, are available at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk.
	Two of DFID's three ministerial vehicles are provided by the Government Car Service (GCS.) Detailed information on the breakdown of the GCS vehicle fleet is being provided separately. The remaining vehicle runs on liquid petroleum gas (LPG).
	While DFID does not have a significant vehicle fleet, we have put in place a range of measures to reduce the environmental impact of our transport-related activities, such as an award-winning videoconference system linking our offices, facilities for staff who cycle to work, and promotion of public transport alternatives.

Private Security Forces

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the general principles he adopts with regard to (a) payments to private security forces and (b) payments that may involve the purchase of small arms for security purposes.

Hilary Benn: On (a), the general principle I adopt is that the overarching purpose of all DFID's activity is to work towards the elimination of poverty. In the very limited number of cases where private security companies might represent the most effective means by which DFID can promote this objective in a specific context, DFID may use services of reputable private security companies for specific narrow purposes. For example, we are using private security companies to protect our staff working in Iraq and Afghanistan. We would also consider using private security companies on security sector reform programmes, for example delivering training, if we judged them the most cost-effective option to deliver a given programme.
	On (b) , the principle I adopt is that funds allocated for aid programmes and projects should not be used to purchase arms and ammunition. But in respect of funds allocated to the costs of ensuring the security of staff, when DFID employs private security companies to protect staff implementing projects and programmes in dangerous environments, the security situation might sometimes require those companies to carry arms.

Public Attitude Surveys

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what surveys of public perceptions of his Department and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if he will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Over the last 12 months, DFID has commissioned two public attitude surveys. The first, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Omnibus Survey on "Public Attitudes Towards Development" is undertaken annually (since 1999) to monitor the attitudes of the UK adult population. The cost of the July 2003 Survey was £32,990. The results are published on the DFID website and are available in the House Libraries. The second, the Market and Opinion Research (MORI) survey on "Attitudes of Schoolchildren towards Development", is undertaken annually (since 2000) to monitor the attitudes of young people. The cost of the January 2004 Survey was £12,220. The results will be published on the DFID website and made available in the House libraries once MORI has finalised the report. The results of both surveys are used to inform, and monitor the impact of, the development awareness work of the Department. The key indication from the 2003 "Public Attitudes Towards Development" survey is that 67 per cent. of the public are concerned about poverty in developing countries.
	In 2003, DFID also commissioned focus group work to research how we can increase levels of understanding of, and support for, development within the UK. The cost of this work was £50,309. A summary of the focus group research is published on the DFID website.

Sudan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) personnel resources and (b) financial resources his Department intends to allocate to tackling the outbreak of the ebola virus in southern Sudan.

Hilary Benn: DFID understands that the World Health Organisation (WHO) plans to issue an appeal in the next few days to respond to the Ebola outbreak in Southern Sudan.
	Although DFID have no plans to make additional personnel resources available to tackle the Ebola outbreak, we will consider making a contribution to the WHO appeal if needed.

Sudan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Sudanese Government and (b) the World Health Organisation regarding attempts to contain the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in southern Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not had any direct contact with the Sudanese Government about the outbreak of the Ebola virus in southern Sudan.
	However, DFID has been in touch with the World Health Organisation (WHO) about the outbreak. WHO have confirmed the outbreak in Yambio County, Southern Sudan. To date there have been 20 reported cases of whom 10 have been confirmed, with five deaths. Five survivors are in an isolation ward, which has been set up in Yambio hospital by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) France and WHO. 120 contacts are being traced, of whom 7–10 per cent. are expected to be infected.
	DFID will continue to closely monitor the situation.

Sudan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department intends to make an assessment of the potential impact of the Ebola virus outbreak in southern Sudan on neighbouring countries.

Hilary Benn: DFID does not propose to send our own assessment team. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO), who are the experts in this field, have sent a six man emergency response team, which includes two of their best Ebola/communicable disease specialists, to investigate and respond to the situation in southern Sudan. This team is producing regular situation reports on their activities, the current situation, and plans for bringing in further personnel.
	WHO have indicated that if the outbreak is not contained the outbreak could spread to northern Uganda and the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. WHO is therefore on standby in both countries.

CABINET OFFICE

Emergency Planning

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to increase local authority funding for emergency planning.

Douglas Alexander: The Government are in discussions with the Local Government Association on the issue of local authority funding for emergency planning.
	Any additional pressures would be considered as part of established public expenditure processes.

Emergency Planning

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans the Government have to establish a professional communications team in the event of a serious emergency.

Douglas Alexander: In the event of a crisis, emergency or major incident, there are well established, tested procedures in place to activate the Cabinet Office's News Co-ordination Centre (NCC). The NCC supports the Lead Government Department and co-ordinates communications across Government. Regular exercises on the operation of the NCC, which is staffed by communications specialists from across Government, take place.

PRIME MINISTER

Afghanistan

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit Afghanistan.

Tony Blair: I have no current plans to do so.

East Timor

John Bercow: To ask the Prime Minister if he will urge the Prime Minister of Australia (a) to review his Government's policies on the Timor gap and (b) to negotiate a deal with East Timor that is both fair and in accordance with international maritime law.

Tony Blair: I regularly have discussions on a wide range of issues with Prime Minister Howard. We welcome the on-going negotiations between Australia and East Timor on this issue and hope that a mutually acceptable solution can be agreed by both parties.

Engagements

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his diary engagements for Wednesday 26 May to Wednesday 2 June inclusive.

Tony Blair: In addition to my duties in the House, I met ministerial colleagues and others.
	I also made several visits. These were to the University College London hospital, the Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester, the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester to attend an event with Normandy veterans, Whitefield Police Station in Bury and Ecclesfield Police Station in Sheffield.

EU Directives

Alan Duncan: To ask the Prime Minister whether any EU Directives incorporated into UK law since May 1997 have been (a) amended and (b) repealed.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. MacShane) gave to him on 20 May 2004, Official Report, columns 1144–45W.

Govan Shipyard

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answers of 25 May 2004, Official Report, columns 1521–22W, on Govan Shipyard, whether the Openness Team were consulted on the application of exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and on what basis the exemptions were applied.

Tony Blair: The exemptions were applied on the basis set out in the answers I gave to the hon. Member on 25 May.

Hunting

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions since 26 November 2003 he has met organisations concerned with the issue of hunting with dogs.

Tony Blair: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings under Exemptions 2 and 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether any part of the dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, published on 24 September 2002, used information solely provided by the Iraq National Congress.

Tony Blair: No part of the dossier on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction published on 24 September 2002 relied upon information known to have originated from the Iraqi National Congress.

Israel/Palestine

Tom Cox: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the President of the United States of America on the recent Israeli military involvement in the Rafah refugee camp; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Israeli Government, and with whom, as to the military involvement by the Israeli army in the Rafah refugee camp; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I regularly have discussions with President Bush on a wide range of international issues, including the Middle East. The UK raised its deep concern about Israeli operations in Rafah with the Israeli Government, making clear that such actions were unacceptable and contrary to Israel's commitments under the Roadmap.
	We also supported United Nations Security Council Resolution 1544 adopted on 19 May, which condemns all acts of violence, terror and destruction and calls for a cessation of all violence. It also calls for Israel to address its security concerns within the parameters of international law and for both sides to implement their roadmap obligations.

Official Minutes

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his practice to have an official minute taken of all meetings at No. 10 where policy options are considered; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1195W.

Prime Ministerial Advisers

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister what rules apply to Downing street advisers going to work for commercial companies operating in the sector for which they were responsible.

Tony Blair: All civil servants, including special advisers, are subject to the Business Appointment rules. The rules are set out in the Civil Service Management Code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Public Perception Surveys

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister what surveys of public perceptions of his role and of its areas of responsibility have taken place over the last 12 months; what the (a) title and (b) nature of these surveys was; what the findings of each survey were; where these findings have been published; what the cost of such surveys was; and if he will make a statement and place copies of the surveys in the Library.

Tony Blair: None.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Career Breaks

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research her Department has carried out on numbers of men and women taking career breaks.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has not carried any research to estimate the number of men and women taking career breaks. However, the findings from The Second Work-life Balance Study: Results from the Employees' Survey (DTI, Employment Relations Research Series, 2004) suggest that 35 per cent. of employees said that it would be possible to take a career break.

Circus Performers (North-west)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what business opportunities are available for (a) clowns, (b) tightrope walkers, (c) stilt performers, (d) unicyclists and (e) other circus performers in the north-west; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: No separate assessment has been made of the business opportunities available in the north-west for the named groups.

Circus Performers (North-west)

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her assessment is of the contribution to the north-west economy that circuses make.

Jacqui Smith: The North West Development Agency, working in partnership with stakeholders in the region, has the lead responsibility for developing and taking forward the economic development strategy for the north-west.
	Tourism is one of the priority sectors but no specific assessment has been made of the contribution circuses make to the north-west economy and there are no plans to do so.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what protocols the Commission for Equality and Human Rights will work (a) with and (b) through the (i) regional development agencies, (ii) the Small Business Service and (iii) ACAS.

Patricia Hewitt: As set out in our White Paper, "Fairness for All: A New Commission for Equality and Human Rights", the CEHR will have a presence in each of the nine English regions. We expect the new body to develop a constructive and productive relationship with key partner organisations such as the regional development agencies, the Small Business Service and ACAS in order to promote compliance and good practice and provide accurate, high quality advice in a range of different formats and through different intermediaries. The new Board, when appointed, will no doubt want to agree arrangements with the partner bodies as soon as practicable.

Govan Shipyard

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  on which dates in 1999 the former Secretary of State met Mr. George Simpson of GEC; if she will publish minutes of the meetings; and if she will list the attendees at those meetings;
	(2)  what communications (a) the former Secretary of State, (b) his representatives and (c) his advisers had with GEC in 1999 over (i) the proposed merger of BAE-GEC and (ii) Govan shipyard; and if she will publish the communications;
	(3)  what meetings and communications (a) the former Secretary of State, (b) his representatives and (c) his advisers had with Kvaerner, their representatives or advisers over the proposed closure of the Govan shipyard in 1999; and what advice the former Secretary of State received from (i) his officials and (ii) other departments on the Office of Fair Trading report on the GEC-BAE merger;
	(4)  who (a) within her Department and (b) outside her Department the former Secretary of State consulted on the advice received from the Office of Fair Trading regarding the merger of BAE-GEC;
	(5)  what meetings took place between her Department and the taskforce chaired by Sir Gavin Laird set up by the Government to look for potential buyers for the Govan shipyard in 1999; and on what date;
	(6)  what meetings took place between the former Secretary of State and with Sir Gavin Laird to discuss the future of the Govan shipyard in 1999; and on what date;
	(7)  what the involvement was of the former Secretary of State in the negotiations over the future of Govan shipyard in 1999;
	(8)  what the involvement was of the former Secretary of State in informal and oral approaches made to GEC over the purchase of Govan in 1999;
	(9)  what meetings took place between Mr. Ed Miliband and (a) the former Secretary of State and (b) his advisers, representatives and officials in 1999 to discuss the (i) GEC-BAE merger and (ii) Govan shipyard.

Patricia Hewitt: My officials and I have meetings and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings, under exemptions two and seven of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	Information relating to internal discussion and advice is exempt from disclosure under exemption two of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	Under the Fair grading Act (now repealed) the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry had the power and the responsibility to clear a merger, refer it to the Competition Commission or accept undertakings in order to remedy or prevent the adverse effects to the public interest specified in advice from the Director General of Fair Trading.
	Under the Fair Trading Act there was no procedure for consultation on the contents of the Director General of Fair Trading's advice. Accordingly, no consultation was undertaken. However, the contents of the competition and national security undertakings to be sought from BAE Systems in lieu of a reference to the Competition Commission were made publicly available. The reasons for his decision to accept competition and national security undertakings in lieu of a reference are set out in his announcement of 9 September 1999. The Secretary of State also announced on 6 March 2000 the contents of the draft undertakings offered by BAE Systems, and on 28 March 2000 the final undertakings.

Honours

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much time her Department spent dealing with honours in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by Civil Service grade.

Patricia Hewitt: The DTI has a full-time Honours Secretary (Range 8) and had, until September 2003, an Assistant Honours Secretary (50 per cent. of a Range 6 post) who dealt with public nominations and expenses for investitures.
	The Permanent Secretary and the Department's Directors General, together with the Head of the Honours Unit (Range 10) and the Honours Secretary take part in the twice yearly formal internal honours meetings.
	The majority of the work on honours is undertaken by the departmental honours team. Information is not available on time spent on honours related work by Dpartmental staff who are not members of the Department's honours team.

Inward Investment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many foreign inward investors have received support through (a) regional selective assistance and enterprise grants and (b) the Selective Finance for Investment in England scheme since their introduction; what percentage this is of the total number of foreign inward investors locating in the UK; what the average duration was of retained foreign investment secured with the help of these schemes, broken down by region; and how many jobs were (i) projected and (ii) created by these investors.

Jacqui Smith: Statistics on offers of Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) to foreign owned companies were first published in the Industrial Development Act Annual Report for 1996/97. Copies of the reports are available in the Libraries of the House. In England, 410 such offers were accepted between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 2003. We estimate this to be about 10 per cent. of the total foreign inward investment projects, of which the Department is aware.
	All assisted projects are monitored for a minimum period following project completion. However, information is not held regarding the total duration of the investment.
	The number of projected jobs associated with the RSA offers is approximately 77,000. To date, around 54,000 have been achieved. As many of these projects are not yet complete this number is expected to increase. SFIE replaced RSA/EG in April of this year. To date, we are not aware of any offers to foreign owned companies. No such records have been maintained for Enterprise Grants (EG), which were available only to Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs).

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of women in Bootle have taken 26 weeks' maternity leave since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Take-up of maternity leave is not recorded centrally. It is possible to make an estimate of the numbers of women taking maternity leave based on employer returns to Inland Revenue of the Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) they recover (since 2003 this has covered the first 26 weeks of leave). Figures for the take-up of SMP are not available on a regional basis, but nationally around 300,000 women receive SMP each year.
	In addition, there will be some women who will qualify for maternity leave but not SMP (because they do not meet the earnings or length of employment criteria for SMP) and similarly some who qualify for SMP but not leave (because they are employed earners for the purposes of SMP but not employees in order to qualify for ' leave).

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what mechanism her Department has put in place to assess the take-up by fathers of their statutory right to paid paternity leave since 6 April 2003; what targets for take-up have been set; and how much has been spent informing fathers of their new rights.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Employers will notify the Inland Revenue of the numbers of employees who have received Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) in their annual returns for the 2003–04 tax year. No targets for take-up of paternity leave have been set, although our Regulatory Impact Assessment costed the measure on the basis of 70 per cent. take-up of the two-week entitlement.
	In the 12 months following implementation the Department spent £1.5 million on an awareness raising campaign promoting the new laws for working parents, which included maternity leave and pay, adoption leave and pay, and the right to request flexible working as well as fathers' rights to paternity leave and SPP. We have also provided support worth £50,000 to the charity Fathers Direct for their pilot magazine aimed at new fathers—'Dad', launched in five different maternity units in April 2003 which included information on their new right to paid paternity leave.

Military Support Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the significance of the Ministry of Defence's forthcoming decision regarding the supply and maintenance of military support vehicles for the manufacturing base (a) in the West Midlands and (b) in the UK.

Jacqui Smith: This Department has been taking a close interest in the MoD Combat Support Vehicle procurement and has developed and maintained contact with all four of the bidding contractors to understand what each is offering in respect of UK industrial benefit.

National Minimum Wage (Bootle)

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers in Bootle have benefited from the national minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not possible to provide estimates specifically for the constituency of Bootle.
	However, based on the Office for National Statistics' Low Pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that around 140,000 people in the North West stood to benefit from the introduction of the National Minimum Wage in April 1999. Between 130,000 and 160,000 people were expected to have benefited from the October 2003 uprating of the National Minimum Wage.

Official Vehicles

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of official vehicles used by her Department are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department's ministerial vehicles are provided by the Government Car Service. Detailed information on the breakdown of the GCS vehicle fleet is being provided separately and I wish to refer to the answer provided by my colleague in the Cabinet Office.
	The Government as a whole have signed up to various targets for improving the performance of their own vehicle fleet, details of which, together with reports on each Department's progress towards these targets, are available at: www.sustainable-development.gov.uk
	While my Department does not have a vehicle fleet, it has put in place a range of measures to reduce the environmental impact of its transport-related activities e.g. promoting public transport, teleconferencing. Contracts for the delivery of services to the DTI HQ estate encourage the use of environmentally friendly fuelled vehicles.

Phthalates

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, within EU discussions, the Government have supported a permanent ban on phthalates in specified toys and child care articles.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government supported the temporary ban (introduced in 1999) on the use of six named phthalates in toys and child use and care articles intended to be mouthed by children under 36 months. However, we continue to believe that the use of phthalates in any such articles for children must be considered on a case-by-case basis. We will give careful consideration to the draft proposal which the Commission intends to circulate in the near future.

Royal Mail

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Royal Mail's performance against letter and package delivery targets in London.

Stephen Timms: Royal Mail published Quarter 4 cumulative quality of Service Report (for April 2003 to March 2004) on 27 May 2004. This stated that the company had failed to meet its performance targets in the wake of last year's strikes and through the major change programme currently being undertaken. A copy can be viewed on the Royal Mail website www.royalmail.com and a copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Royal Mail's top priority is to improve its quality of service performance. It has drawn up detailed plans to tackle these problems and Ministers have Allan Leighton's personal assurance that these will be implemented vigorously. We are confident that the management is committed and determined to put things right.

TVS UK Ltd.

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made (a) of the number of UK manufacturers and suppliers that are involved in TVS UK Ltd and (b) TVS UK's significance to the UK defence industrial base.

Jacqui Smith: DTI officials have been holding a dialogue with TVS UK Ltd (Stewart and Stevenson) to assess the UK industrial benefits coming from their bid to be the preferred contractor for MoD's Combat Support Vehicle procurement. I also took the opportunity to meet with LDV (representing TVS) earlier this year to receive a personal briefing on the value of their bid to the UK manufacturing economy.
	Similar discussions have been taking place with the other three contractors bidding for this programme.

Working Week (Bootle)

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Bootle have been affected by a reduction of the working week to 48 hours.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Working Time Regulations provide workers with the right to refuse to work more than 48 hours on average, if they do not want to. Numbers for Bootle are not available. However, it has been estimated that around 300,000 workers resident in the north-west stood to benefit from the introduction of the weekly working time limits in 1998.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

School Buses

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on maintaining school buses free of charge to children.

Charles Clarke: Free transport is always necessary for a pupil of compulsory school age (five to 16) who attends the nearest suitable school if it is beyond statutory walking distances. These are two miles for pupils aged up to eight and three miles for those aged eight and over. This is measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk with reasonable safety.
	Free transport might exceptionally be necessary for a five to 16-year-old who lives within walking distance of school, or who does not attend the nearest suitable school: it is for a local education authority to consider such a case on its merits. In addition, they have discretion to provide assistance in a wide range of other circumstances. It is for each LEA to decide on its discretionary transport policy in line with local priorities and to defend it locally.
	The current school transport legislation dates to 1944 and has not kept pace with changes to the education system. There are also growing concerns about congestion on the school run, pollution, obesity and lack of exercise. The draft School Transport Bill would seek to allow a small number of local authorities to address the serious environmental and practical issues caused by increasing car use on the school run, and provide attractive alternatives to the family car on the home to school journey.
	The Bill will allow pilot authorities to charge fares for those in receipt of school transport, but only at a level which will not increase car use. There are also a number of safeguards built in. Only LEAs that volunteer to become pilots following local consultation will be able to charge and I will then have to approve schemes. While the draft Bill provides as a minimum for pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) to receive free transport, we hope LEAs will experiment with different approaches to means testing, e.g. considering number of children in family, those just above FSM income cut-off etc.

A National Voice

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what comments the Government has made to the future funding of A National Voice; and what guarantees have been made to the Prince's Trust in respect of their mentoring role.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 26 May 2004
	The Government recognise the particular value of A National Voice as the only organisation campaigning to improve the quality of public care for children and young people that is actually led by care-experienced young people.
	That is why DfES has awarded a Safeguarding Children and Supporting Families Grant to the Prince's Trust for its work as "host organisation" to A National Voice. This award can only be spent on a National Voice. Subject to the terms and conditions set out in the grant award letter this offers funding to A National Voice for the current and next two financial years of up to £100,000 per year.

A-Levels (Funding)

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average funding per student studying A levels at (a) a sixth form college, (b) a further education college and (c) a sixth form attached to a comprehensive school is in the 2004–05 financial year.

Alan Johnson: Under the Learning and Skills Council's funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels in a sixth form college and a further education college to a student in the 2004/05 academic year will be £3,045. This figure comprises £766 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, and £747 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme. Under the LSC's funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels to a student at an English maintained secondary school will be £3,212. This figure comprises £785 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, £750 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme, and £107 for each student to meet additional employers' contributions to teachers' pensions. These figures do not represent all funding that colleges and schools receive and are not directly comparable. For example the further education funding rates include consolidated funds for pay and staff training that are not reflected in the school sixth form rates. Also, in each case additional funding may also be available to take account of the higher costs of delivering learning in particular geographical areas, in higher cost subjects, or to students with particular disadvantages or individual needs.

Bureaucracy

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many tasks introduced by the Government since 1997 have been removed as a result of the reduction in bureaucracy initiatives over the past 12 months.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 25 May 2004
	The "Making a Difference—Red Tape and Bureaucracy in Schools Second Report" published in March 2003 identified 125 separate actions to reduce or remove elements of bureaucracy identified through visits to schools and discussions with head teachers. By May this year, 79 of these actions had been completed.
	Beyond these specific actions, the independent Implementation Review Unit (IRU) panel of serving heads, teachers and a bursar, has worked with policy officials throughout the development of the 'New Relationship with Schools'; a programme which I announced in January to work with schools in a different way, based on a high degree of professional trust. Schools' interactions with government, in terms of planning, data requests, communications and accessing funding and support will become simpler and more streamlined. Work is also in hand for using a single school plan to replace separate bidding requirements.
	In addition, the 'National Agreement on Raising Standards and Tackling Workload' is freeing teachers from unnecessary burdens and ensuring that their time is focused on teaching and learning. Since last September, teachers can no longer routinely be required to carry out administrative and clerical tasks, including 21 specific tasks listed in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document. There are more changes to come; from September 2004 there will be a 38 hour annual limit on cover for absent colleagues, and from September 2005 all teachers will be entitled to guaranteed time within the school day for planning, preparation and assessment.
	Within the further education and training sector, we are working with the Learning and Skills Council to reduce bureaucracy by simplifying administration for all providers, and we are committed to implementing the 30 recommendations made in the Bureaucracy Task Force's first report. Progress has been made including the reduction of funding streams to the LSC from 45 to 5 in 2003/04. The LSC is implementing plan led funding from 2004/05, and we have established the Bureaucracy Review Group. This is an independent group chaired by Sir Andrew Foster and comprising members from the major provider groups in the sector, to assess new and existing policies and their implementation, challenging the Department, the LSC and other bodies as necessary to remove bureaucratic burdens.
	In higher education, the independent Better Regulation Review Group, chaired by David Vandelinde, reports that significant progress has been made in implementing the five recommendations contained in the Better Regulation Task Force's report 'Higher Education: Easing the burden'.

Capital Funding (Brighton and Hove)

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much capital funding was allocated to schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97.

David Miliband: The following table sets out the capital support given by the Government to Brighton and Hove local education authority (LEA) since 1997–98 including devolved formula capital grants to each school. We do not have separate information for 1996–97 when Brighton and Hove was part of East Sussex LEA.
	
		£000
		
			  Capital allocations 
		
		
			 1997–98 3,926 
			 1998–99 3,698 
			 1999–2000 5,636 
			 2000–01 7,661 
			 2001–02 (13)28,614 
			 2002–03 5,487 
			 2003–04 7,573 
			 2004–05 (14)12,584 
			 2005–06 (14)2,933 
		
	
	(13) Includes £24.5 million of PFI credits
	(14) Allocations not yet complete.

Child Care

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department has taken in response to the recommendations made by the National Audit Office in its report, Progress in Developing High Quality Childcare and Early Education Accessible to All, published on 27 February, on the (a) expansion of, (b) sustainability and (c) the quality of child care provision; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I was pleased that the National Audit Office report acknowledged the good progress that had been made in creating new child care places and recognised the Government's achievement in providing free, part-time early education for 3 and 4-year-olds. There is now one child care place for every four children under the age of 8, whereas in 1997 there was only one place for every eight children. In addition, since the report was published, we have extended the offer of a free, part-time early education place to cover all 3-year-olds.
	The Government fully accept the view, expressed in the report, that although a great deal has been achieved, there is still more to be done; and we have welcomed the recommendations. The areas highlighted in the report—the creation of places in disadvantaged areas, the sustainability of places, and the provision of training and support for providers—are ones where we are making particular efforts as we work towards our vision of good quality, accessible, and affordable child care for all parents who want it.

Children's Commissioner for England

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what decisions he has made on the role of children and young people in the selection of a Children's Commissioner for England.

Margaret Hodge: Children and young people will play an important role in the selection of the new Children's Commissioner for England. The exact form that their participation will take is currently under consideration.

Children's Trusts

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy that children's trusts should take responsibility for youth offending teams.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 25 May 2004
	Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) may become members of a Children's Trust where this is locally agreed. The Youth Justice Board has issued revised guidance on YOT structures. This includes issues to be considered when determining local arrangements, such as ensuring that YOTs retain strong links to criminal justice and crime reduction agencies and partnerships. Where a YOT does not join a Trust, it will still be important to plan in a joined up way to ensure that services are coherent.

Connexions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether there are limitations on the power Connexions partnership chief executives have to appoint or remove members of its board of directors.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has no authority to impose limitations on the power of chief executives of private organisations. The authority of chief executives is agreed by the partnership's board. This, and the board's authority to appoint or remove members of the board of directors, is specified within their Articles of Association.

Education Services (Essex)

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people were employed in state schools in (a) the County of Essex in each year from 1980 to 1997 and (b) the County of Essex and the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock in each year from 1998 to 2003.

David Miliband: The available information is shown in the following tables. The first table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) regular teachers and support staff in maintained schools in Essex LEA in each January between 1992 and 1998. Information is only available from 1992 when support staff data were first collected. The second table shows the number of FTE regular teachers and support staff in Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock LEAs after local government re-organisation in April 1998, in each January between 1999 and 2003.
	Information on the number of teachers and support staff by LEA from 1997 to 2003 is available in the School Workforce Volume, 2003 edition. This is available from the House of Commons Library or at the following URL: www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000443/index.shtml
	
		Full-time equivalent regular teachers and support staff 1
		
			  Essex LEA 
		
		
			 1992 15,090 
			 1993 15,010 
			 1994 15,380 
			 1995 16,060 
			 1996 16,760 
			 1997 17,390 
			 1998 17,520 
		
	
	Note:
	Sixth form colleges are included in 1992.
	
		Full-time equivalent regular teachers and support staff 1
		
			  Essex LEA Southend-on-Sea LEA Thurrock LEA Total 
		
		
			 1999 14,850 1,920 1,740 18,500 
			 2000 14,920 2,120 1,780 18,810 
			 2001 15,660 2,240 1,900 19,800 
			 2002 16,790 2,530 2,010 21,300 
			 2003 17,060 2,600 2,080 21,730 
		
	
	(15) Includes nursery assistants, special needs support staff, minority ethnic pupil support staff, secretaries, bursars, lab assistants design technology assistants, I.T. technicians, librarians, welfare assistants, learning mentors, child care staff in boarding schools and any other staff regularly employed in schools but excluding technicians medical staff in nurseries.
	Source:
	Teacher numbers: Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies
	Support Staff: Annual School Census

Education Statistics (London)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) London and (ii) Brent are expected to have a budget deficit in the current financial year.

David Miliband: There are 230 (12.2 per cent.) of primary schools and 100 (24.1 per cent.) of secondary schools in deficit within Greater London. There are 12 (20 per cent.) of Brent primary schools and five (36.7 per cent.) of Brent secondary schools in deficit. Information on the current year 2004–05 will not be available until the summer of 2005.

Excellence in Cities Programme

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood have benefited from the Excellence in Cities programme; and what the per pupil spending was in each year since the programme's inception.

David Miliband: The following table shows the number of children in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood benefiting from EiC, and the annual spend per pupil for the years in question.
	
		
			  Number of children Total EiC expenditure(16) (£) Spend per pupil (£) 
		
		
			 2001–02 2,812 169,297 60.21 
			 2002–03 3,839 425,566 110.85 
			 2003–04 3,989 1,108,479 277.88 
		
	
	(16) All funding figures supplied by Blackpool Excellence in Cities Team.
	The increase in the rate of EiC funding and the number of pupils benefiting in 2002–03 was due to the Education Action Zone coming under the control of the EiC Partnership. The increase in funding in 2003–04 was due to the introduction of the Leadership Incentive Grant and the Behaviour Improvement Programme.

Further Education

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to provide funding to help further education colleges in the Worthing area specifically to refurbish and rebuild their estates.

Alan Johnson: All of the Department's post-16 learning and skills sector capital investment is allocated to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The Department does not provide a specific budget to the LSC for rebuilding and refurbishing property in further education colleges at either the local or regional levels. It is for the LSC to determine for itself the right level of capital investment in further education colleges. Mr. Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member on this matter and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Gender Pay Gap

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the pay gap between men and women employed by his Department and its agencies in (a) Southampton, (b) Eastleigh, (c) Winchester and (d) Romsey.

Charles Clarke: My Department does not employ people in Southampton, Eastleigh, Winchester or Romsey.

Illiteracy

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the functional illiteracy rate amongst (a) 11 to 18 year olds and (b) adults in (i) Manchester, Blackley, (ii) Manchester and (iii) England.

David Miliband: 'Functional illiteracy' is usually thought to be equivalent to Entry Level literacy as defined in the National Standards for Adult Literacy and Numeracy, which in turn is equivalent to below a G grade at GCSE English language. For students aged between 11 and 18 the Department does not currently hold data on entry level qualifications. This information should be available from next year for pupils at the end of compulsory schooling.
	The DfES Skills for Life survey published in October 2003 provides estimates of the proportion of people in England who are at various literacy and numeracy skill levels as defined by the National Standards for Adult Literacy and Numeracy.
	The Skills for Life survey estimates that for the Manchester Learning and Skills Council area 18 per cent. of adults have Entry level literacy skills. For England this proportion is 16 per cent.
	Unfortunately, data is not yet available at sub-LSC level. However the Department is in the process of developing a website which will give users access to estimates of literacy and numeracy skills at local levels. This website should be online at the end of 2004.

Intercountry Adoption

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many intercountry adoptions have taken place in each year since 1994.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 19 May 2004
	This information is not available centrally. The following table shows the number of intercountry adoption applications processed since 1994 by the Department of Health and since June 2003 by the Department for Education and Skills:
	
		
			  Number of applications 
		
		
			 1994 113 
			 1995 150 
			 1996 310 
			 1997 221 
			 1998 258 
			 1999 277 
			 2000 351 
			 2001 326 
			 2002 285 
			 2003 300

Local Authority Secure Units

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local authority secure unit beds there were in each of the past 10 years; how many beds are projected to be provided in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Secure children's homes provide accommodation for young people placed for the protection of themselves or others, and for those placed under criminal justice legislation by the Youth Justice Board. The following table provides information on the number of approved places in secure children's homes over the past 10 years.
	Officials have been working closely, both with the Youth Justice Board and the Association of Directors of Social Services, to consider the implications for secure children's homes of the Youth Justice Board's decision to use fewer beds in local authority secure units.
	We understand that a few secure children's homes will now close, and that a few others may close, on the basis that they will no longer be viable. For this reason, we are at this time unable to project the exact number of beds in secure children's homes over the next five years.
	However, officials are looking very closely at the demand, including any unmet need, for welfare placements in order to ensure that there are sufficient beds across the country for children who need to be placed in a secure children's home for welfare reasons.
	Our aim is to achieve the best quality service for vulnerable children who, for whatever reason, need a placement in secure accommodation.
	
		Places approved/available to secure accommodation at 31 March
		
			  Places approved/available 
		
		
			 England  
			 1994 290 
			 1995 265 
			 1996 275 
			 1997 330 
			 1998 415 
			 1999 435 
			 2000 435 
			 2001 430 
			 2002 425 
			 2003 425 
		
	
	Source:
	SA1 return

Medical Courses (Drop-out Rates)

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the drop-out rate for students studying medicine on courses which lead to registration as a doctor was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 27 May 2004
	Figures are not held centrally. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HECFE) publish non-completion rates of students on full-time undergraduate courses in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education", but these are not calculated for individual subjects, courses or entry qualifications.
	It is generally agreed that non-completion rates are low in medicine and dentistry. For example, for full-time first degree students starting their course in 2000–01, St George's Hospital Medical School, the only remaining free-standing medical school in England, has a non-completion rate of 6 per cent. The overall non-completion rate for full-time first degree students at UK HE institutions, who began their studies in 2000–01, was estimated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to be 16 per cent.

Medical Students

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2004, Official Report, column 300W, on medical students, how many of the 95 students have ceased to pursue studies leading to registration with the General Medical Council and subsequent practice as a doctor.

Alan Johnson: Figures are not held centrally. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HECFE) publish non-completion rates of students on full-time undergraduate courses in 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education', but, these are not calculated for individual subjects, courses or entry qualifications.
	It is generally agreed that non-completion rates are low in medicine and dentistry. For example, for full time first degree students starting their course in 2000/01, St. George's Hospital Medical School, the only remaining free-standing medical school in England, has a non-completion rate of 6 per cent. The overall non-completion rate for full-time first degree students at UK HE institutions, who began their studies in 2000–01, was estimated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to be 16 per cent.

National Child Care Strategy

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many children in Blackpool North and Fleetwood have benefited from the National Childcare Strategy;
	(2)  how many child care places have been created in Blackpool North and Fleetwood since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The Department is unable to provide details of child care places for Blackpool North and Fleetwood. However, from April 1999 to March 2004 Blackpool local authority created 3,060 new child care places helping some 5,505 children. This shows an increase in the stock of child care places, taking into account turnover, of 2,149 helping some 3,899 children.

Pre-school Places

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) free nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii) four-year-olds in Blackpool North and Fleetwood in each of the last seven years.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested.
	Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Blackpool local education authority area are shown in the table.
	The latest figures on provision for three and four-year-olds in England were published in a Statistical Bulletin 'Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2003' which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	From April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three-year-olds in England whose parents want one, are eligible for a free, part-time early education place.
	
		Number of free nursery education places1,2 taken up by three and four-year-old children in maintained nursery and primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers -- Blackpool local education authority area: 1997–2003Position in January each year
		
			  Three- year-olds Four-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 500 1,600 
			 1998 500 1,600 
			 1999 300 1,500 
			 2000 1,600 1,400 
			 2001 1,400 1,600 
			 2002 1,400 1,600 
			 2003 1,400 1,600 
		
	
	(17) Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four-year-old children.
	(18) A free nursery education place comprises five two and a half hour sessions of early years education per week, for thirty-three weeks of the year, usually three terms of eleven weeks.

Pupil Spending (Elmet)

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the spending was per pupil (a) in the primary sector and (b) in the secondary sector for schools in the Elmet constituency in each year since 1996.

David Miliband: The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Elmet is a district of Leeds local education authority. The information for Leeds LEA is as follows.
	
		Net current expenditure per pupil -- £
		
			  Primary education Pre-primary and primary Secondary education 
		
		
			 1996–97 n/a 1,933 2,542 
			 1997–98 n/a 1,870 2,601 
			 1998–99 n/a 2,092 2,727 
			 1999–2000 2,278 2,299 2,773 
			 2000–01 2,537 2,577 3,047 
			 2001–02 2,739 2,807 3,588 
			 2002–03 3,005 3,036 3,680 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The financial data are taken from Leeds LEA's section 52 Outturn Statement submitted to the DfES from 1999–2000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the section 52 outturn statement in 1999–2000. Leeds LEA does not have any pre-primary pupils for the years 1999–2000 onwards so there is no pre-primary split to show. 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance.
	2. The outturn 2002–03 tables captured the data in a fundamentally different way to the previous years. Categories were aligned with the Consistent Financial Reporting framework and the spending by LEAs was no longer split by school sector. Consequently the unit costs per pupil in 2002–03 are not strictly comparable with earlier years as they include an apportionment of LEA expenditure based on pupil numbers. 2002–03 data are subject to change by the LEA. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.
	3. Net current expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEAs.
	4. The NCE per pupil figures for pre-primary and primary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the pre-primary sector and maintained primary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained nursery and primary schools sector.
	5. The NCE per pupil figures for secondary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained secondary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained secondary schools sector.
	6. The NCE per pupil figures for special schools relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained special schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained special schools sector.
	7. Pupil data are drawn from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.

Schools (Fire Prevention)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to extend the use of (a) cavity barriers in roofs and (b) non-combustible panels in compartmentation when (i) refurbishing existing school buildings and (ii) constructing new school buildings.

David Miliband: New construction at schools is now covered by the Buildings Regulations. The use of cavity barriers in roofs and non-combustible panels in compartmentation will continue to be needed when refurbishing existing school buildings and constructing new school buildings to counter spread of fire and facilitate means of escape in case of fire in accordance with current Building Regulations, specifically Approved Document Part B, Fire Safety.

Schools (Support Staff)

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his latest estimate is of the number of support staff working in schools; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: In January 2004 there were 241,700 full-time equivalent support staff employed in maintained schools in England—an increase of over 100,000 since 1997. Further information was published on 29 April in the School Workforce in England statistical first release, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library and can be accessed from the following URL: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000462/index.shtml
	Teacher numbers rose by 4,000 over the past year. This is excellent news for schools as they remodel their workforce and creates new capacity to raise standards.

Secondary Schools

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the lowest number of secondary school students in a Staffordshire school is.

David Miliband: Provisional January 2004 figures show that the lowest number of pupils in a maintained secondary school within Staffordshire Local Education Authority was 310.

Social Sciences

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of state-funded PhD students studied social sciences in the last year for which figures are available.

Alan Johnson: The latest available information for these students enrolled on PhD courses in the UK shows that 8 per cent. were studying within social sciences.

Special Educational Needs

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 712W, on special educational needs, how much funding has been made available for professional development of teachers in relation to special educational needs for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the last five years;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 712W, on special educational needs, how many teachers have received professional development training in relation to special educational needs in each of the past five years; and what elements this training comprised.

Margaret Hodge: Schools have the autonomy within their overall school budgets to determine how much they make available for training purposes in the light of their own priorities and needs. It is therefore not possible to disaggregate funding for professional development in relation to special educational needs.
	For the last five years, the SEN component of the Department's Standard Fund, which local authorities and primary and secondary schools could use to support training and development of teachers and other staff, was:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 55 
			 2001–02 82 
			 2002–03 91 
			 2003–04 81 
			 2004–05 (19)84 
		
	
	(19) SEN element of the new School Development Grant.
	Information on actual take-up of professional development by teachers is not collected centrally.

Special Educational Needs

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what monitoring takes place of Special Education Needs Tribunal (SENDIST) panels; and what statistics are kept of judgments by individual SENDISTs of (a) findings in favour of parents and (b) dismissals of appeals.

Margaret Hodge: The President of the Tribunal observes a sample of hearings in order to monitor the performance of chairmen. She also reviews panels' decisions and pursues vigorously all complaints about the conduct of hearings. SENDIST plans in the coming year to introduce a more formal appraisal system for tribunal chairs and members.
	Detailed statistics of the outcomes of appeals are published annually in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Annual Report. This sets out numbers of appeals upheld and dismissed in terms of type of appeal, type of special educational need and type of school. It also sets out the number of appeals registered for each local authority and the number of appeals per 10,000 of the school population.

Sports Facilities (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been invested in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood to build long-term school sports facilities.

David Miliband: The majority of capital funding is now allocated to schools and local education authorities by needs related formulae. They decide how to target this investment in line with local asset management plans.
	The Department does not, therefore, have complete information about the amount and type of capital investment at constituency level. This should be held by the local authorities concerned. The following tables set out the total capital support made by the Department to both Blackpool and Lancashire local education authorities (LEAs) and its schools since 1997–98.
	
		Capital allocations: Blackpool LEA and schools
		
			  Total (£000) 
		
		
			 1998–99 2,571 
			 1999–2000 3,955 
			 2000–01 6,930 
			 2001–02 8,302 
			 2002–03 6,632 
			 2003–04 17,035 
		
	
	Note:
	Blackpool LEA was established in 1998–99 following local government re-organisation.
	
		Capital allocations: Lancashire LEA and schools
		
			  Total (£000) 
		
		
			 1997–98 13,288 
			 1998–99 16,957 
			 1999–2000 35,179 
			 2000–01 38,021 
			 2001–02 29,778 
			 2002–03 46,470 
			 2003–04 62,607 
		
	
	To date we have allocated a further £20.2 million for Blackpool LEA in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a further £53.8 million for Lancashire LEA for 2004–05 and 2005–06.
	Furthermore, the New Opportunities Fund has provided schools in the Blackpool and Lancashire LEA areas with over £14 million specifically to enhance PE and school sport facilities.

State Schools

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many state schools there are; and of them, how many are voluntary-aided schools.

David Miliband: The data requested are shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools(20):Number of schools by status -- January 2004 (provisional v3) England
		
			  Number of schools 
			  Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 Voluntary aided 3,748 554 
			 Community 11,066 2,217 
			 Voluntary controlled 2,584 124 
			 Foundation 364 513 
			 Total 17,762 3,408 
		
	
	(20) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census
	Final 2004 figures will be published in September.

Statistics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2004, Official Report, column 428W, on statistics, if he will list the percentage of those aged 16 to 18 years participating in education, training and employment by (a) labour market status and (b) gender for the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: Estimates of 16 to 18 year olds participating in education and training by labour market status and by gender are shown in Table 1 and Table 2 for the latest two academic years, end 2001 and end 2002.
	The figures in the tables are taken from the Statistical First Release (SFR) publication, SFR 31/2003, entitled 'Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16–18 year olds in England: 2001 and 2002', which was produced using post-Census population estimates. Historic population estimates are not yet available on a comparable basis and therefore participation rates are only available for the last two years and these estimates cannot be compared with those in previous SFRs which used pre-Census population estimates and projections.
	
		Participation in education and training by labour market status and by gender for end 2001 and end 2002 (provisional) -- Table 1: End 2001Percentage
		
			 Activity Females Males All 
		
		
			 In full-time education 59 53 56 
			 In training(21) 17 21 19 
			 In work (excluding those  education and training)(22) 15 16 15 
			 ILO Unemployed(23) 4 7 6 
			 Inactive(24) 5 2 4 
			 Total(25) 100 100 100 
		
	
	
		Table 2: End 2002 (provisional)Percentage
		
			 Activity Females Males All 
		
		
			 In full-time education 60 53 57 
			 In training(21) 16 20 18 
			 In work (excluding those  education and training)(22) 14 16 15 
			 ILO Unemployed(23) 4 7 6 
			 Inactive(24) 5 3 4 
			 Total(25) 100 100 100 
		
	
	(21) 'In training' includes those young people in work based learning (WBL), employer funded training (EFT) and other education and training (OET).
	(22) Some young people in education and training will also be in employment. However, these numbers have not been included in the 'In work' figures.
	(23) MLO unemployed1 covers anyone who is out of work and available to start work in the next two weeks, but has either looked for work in the last four weeks or is waiting to start a job they have already obtained.
	(24) 'Inactive' includes those neither in employment nor ILO unemployed, that is—not active in the labour market.
	(25) The totals are calculated from unrounded figures and so may not be the sum of the individual cells.

Student Loan Company

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the operation of computer software at the Student Loan Company; and whether potential applicants have been prevented from applying prior to the deadline due to operational problems.

Alan Johnson: We have been modernising the arrangements for the delivery of higher education student finance over recent years. Central to this modernisation is the new IT system, implemented by the Student Loans Company, which LEAs are now using to assess and process paper applications. There have been some teething problems with the system, which you would expect with an IT project of this size and complexity. However, at this stage we have no strong concerns that students who apply on time will not receive payment at the start of term. We are of course monitoring the situation closely.
	The intention was that the new IT system would also provide a service for students to make their applications on-line from this April. However, in order to give the national launch of the new IT system in LEAs the best chance of success, we have decided to delay the introduction of this service. This reflects the fact that this year we had always expected the vast majority of students to apply using paper forms. Postponing the launch of the online facility has not prevented in anyway students from making applications for support on-time as paper application forms have been made readily available to them as in previous years. We remain committed to providing an on-line service in line with e-government targets.

Student Loans (Online Applications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the start-up costs for enabling students to apply for student loans online are; and what the running costs will be in each year up to 2007–08.

Alan Johnson: The new higher education student finance IT system will not only provide an online application facility for students. The same system is also being used by local education authorities to assess and process paper applications from students and by the customer support office, operated by the Student Loans Company, to answer student queries. It is therefore not possible for us to provide separate figures for the development and running costs of the online facility as these costs are integral to the costs of the system as a whole.

Student Loans (Online Applications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the number of students who will apply for student loans online in each year up to 2007–08.

Alan Johnson: We are currently developing a strategy for the promotion of this online service in future years and would therefore expect the proportion of students making their applications online to increase over time. We will of course continue to provide a service for students who wish to make their applications using a paper form.

Teachers (Brighton and Hove)

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many full-time equivalent teachers were working in schools in Brighton and Hove in each year since 1996–97.

David Miliband: The information requested has been published in table A2 of the School Workforce in England volume, 2003 edition. A copy of this has been placed in the House of Commons Library. The volume can also be accessed from the following URL: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgatewav/DB/VOL/v000443/index. shtml

Tuition Fees

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many undergraduate students from (a) Taunton constituency and (b) Somerset are attending university; and how many of these undergraduate students pay (i) no tuition fee and (ii) a partial tuition fee.

Alan Johnson: In England and Wales, students on full-time undergraduate courses and their families are expected to make a contribution towards the cost of their tuition only if they can afford to do so.
	For entry in 2002, there were 2,710 applicants domiciled in Somerset LEA who were accepted through UCAS to full-time first degree and HMD courses at UK institutions. Data on the number of students from the constituency of Taunton attending university are not available.
	The number and percentages of students in England and Wales in academic year 2002/03 (latest year for which data are available) who have been assessed to make a nil or partial contribution towards the cost of their tuition are shown in the table:
	
		England and Wales: Academic year 2002/03 (provisional)
		
			  Student support scheme student numbers (000)(26) Student support scheme students (%) 1 
		
		
			 Nil contribution towards the cost of tuition from student/parents/spouse/ partner(27) 330 43 
			 Partial contribution towards the cost of tuition from student/parents/spouse/ partner 116 15 
		
	
	(26) Contributions towards the cost of tuition are assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales for students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
	(27) Includes students on courses where the fee support was not subject to income-assessment (e.g. PGCE courses, and some other ITT courses; and designated courses at private institutions).
	Note:
	National level data are published annually in the Departments Statistical First Releases (SFRs) (SFR 12/2004 for 2002/03).
	Data are collected from the local education authorities (LEAs) to produce national estimates and the data collection exercise does not allow for the production of firm figures below this level. Therefore data by Constituency or local education authority are not available.
	Source:
	F503G survey of local education authorities

Voluntary Family Support Agencies

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much financial support is provided to voluntary family support agencies by (a) the Government and (b) each local authority.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Education and Skills made £8.34 million available in support of voluntary family support organisations for the financial year ended 31 March 2004.
	In addition £6.96 million was made available, through Sure Start programmes, to a range of voluntary sector organisations for work with children and families. However, it is not possible to identify what proportion has been used specifically on family support activities.
	Information on the level of financial support provided to voluntary family support agencies by each local authority is not held centrally.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Asbestosis

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much compensation has been paid from public funds in respect of asbestosis victims in Northern Ireland in each year since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: Compensation for asbestos sufferers in Northern Ireland is administered by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) and Harland and Wolff (H and W) plc.
	DEL administers the Pneumoconiosis Worker's Compensation Scheme which was established by the Pneumoconiosis Etc (Workers Compensation) Order 1979. The scheme provides compensation for sufferers (or their dependants) who are unable to claim damages from the employers where the dust exposure which caused the disease occurred, as the employers have ceased to carry on business. DEL has paid out the following amounts under the Pneumoconiosis Workers Compensation Scheme since 1997.
	
		£
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 1997–98 51,378 
			 1998–99 61,530 
			 1999–2000 nil 
			 2000–01 27,900 
			 2001–02 65,308 
			 2002–03 205,689 
			 2003–04 120,153 
			 Total 531,958 
		
	
	H and W plc assumed responsibility for the settlement of Employer's Liability and Public Liability insurance claims in 2001, following the collapse of the company's insurer (Iron Trades Mutual Society). The majority of these claims have centred around asbestosis and mesothelioma suffers. H and W plc has paid out the following amounts under the Employer's Liability and Public Liability insurance claims since 2001.
	
		£
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 2000–01 171,288 
			 2001–02 2,753,909 
			 2002–03 4,368,638 
			 2003–04 5,943,468 
			 Total 13,237,302 
		
	
	In addition to the above, during the period 1 April to 31 May 2004 H and W plc paid £1,276,249 in insurance claims.

Departmental Secondments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department and its agencies were seconded from the (a) private and (b) academic sector in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: In the last three years there have been 22 inward secondments from the private sector and 12 from the academic sector to the 11 departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and its agencies. In the same period there were no inward secondments from either of these sectors to the Northern Ireland Office.
	Further detail is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Private sector Academic sector 
		
		
			 2001 11 1 
			 2002 9 4 
			 2003 2 7

Drug Seizures

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the value of each type of illegal drug seized in the Province in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Ian Pearson: The street value of illicit drugs seized by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in 2003–04 and April 2004 are detailed in tables A and B. The latest published figures of drugs seized in Northern Ireland by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise are for the period 2002–03 and are detailed in Table C.
	The value of drugs seized within Northern Ireland prison establishments is not calculated.
	
		Table A: Street value of drugs seized by PSNI 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004
		
			 Drugs seized Amount seized Price per unit 1(£) Total value (£) 
		
		
			 Cocaine
			 Powder (gms) 11,470.91 80/gram 917,672.80 
			 Wraps 6 40/wrap 240.00 
			 Crack cocaine (gms) 9.2 150/gram 1,380.00 
			 
			 Ecstasy
			 Tablets (April-October 2003) 163,316 10/tablet 1,633,160.00 
			 Tablets (November 2003-  March 2004) 59,572 5/tablet 297,860.00 
			 Powder (gms) 72.14 37.50/gram 2,705.25 
			 Capsules 20 12.50/capsule 250.00 
			 
			 LSD
			 Doses 0 5/dose 0 
			 Microdots 6 4/microdots 24.00 
			 
			 Opiates
			 Powder (gms) 189.89 100/gram 18,989.00 
			 Tablets 3 12/tablet 36.00 
			 Ampoules 20 45/ampoule 900.00 
			 Mls 163.57 45.00/ml 7,360.65 
			 Wraps 2 40/wrap 80.00 
			 
			 Amphetamine
			 Powder (gms) 17,310.77 10/gram 173,107.70 
			 Tablets 58 5/tablet 290.00 
			 Wraps 35 10/wrap 350.00 
			 
			 Cannabis
			 Resin (gms) 2,204,235.82 5/gram 11,021,179.10 
			 Herbal (gms) 32,849.58 10/gram 328,495.80 
			 Plants 1,173 600/plant 703,800.00 
			 Joints 212 2.50/joint 530.00 
			 Oil (gms) 0 50.00/gram 0 
		
	
	(28) Price per unit assessed by PSNI with reference to the National Drug Price Guide compiled by the National Criminal Intelligence Service.
	
		Table B: Street value of drugs seized by PSNI 1 April 2004 to 30 April 2004
		
			 Drugs seized Amount seized Price per unit 1 (£) Total value (£) 
		
		
			 Cocaine
			 Powder (gms) 488.78 80/gram 39,102.40 
			 Wraps 0 40/wrap 0 
			 Crack cocaine (gms) 0 150/gram 0 
			 
			 Ecstasy
			 Tablets 1,381 5/tablet 6,905.00 
			 Powder (gms) 30 37.50/gram 1,125.00 
			 Capsules 0 12.50/capsule 0 
			 
			 LSD
			 Doses 0 5/dose 0 
			 Microdots 0 4/microdot 0 
			 
			 Opiates
			 Powder (gms) 0 100/gram 0 
			 Tablets 0 12/tablet 0 
			 Ampoules 0 45/ampoule 0 
			 Mls 0 45/ml 0 
			 Wraps 0 40/wrap 0 
			 
			 Amphetamine
			 Powder (gms) 2,311.52 10/gram 23,115.20 
			 Tablets 0 5/tablet 0 
			 Wraps 0 10/wrap 0 
			 
			 Cannabis
			 Resin (gms) 3,365.85 5/gram 16,829.25 
			 Herbal (gms) 221 10/gram 2,210.00 
			 Plants 14 600/plant 8,400.00 
			 Joints 11 2.50/joint 27.50 
			 Oil (gms) 0 50/gram 0 
		
	
	(29) Price per unit assessed by PSNI with reference to the National Drug Price Guide compiled by the National Criminal Intelligence Service.
	
		Table C: Street value of drugs seized by HMCE1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003
		
			 Drugs seized Amount seized Price per unit 1 (£) Total value (£) 
		
		
			 Cocaine
			 Grams 1,690 80/gram 135,200 
			 
			 Ecstasy
			 Tablets 6 10/tablet 60 
			 
			 Cannabis
			 Grams 20,186 10/gram 201,860.00 
		
	
	(30) Price per unit supplied by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise with reference to the National Drug Price Guide compiled by the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Eating Disorders

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recommendations from the recent National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on eating disorders he expects to introduce in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Guidelines produced by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) are only applicable to England and Wales; there is no statutory requirement to implement NICE guidelines in Northern Ireland. The Department is considering how guidelines issued by NICE can be fully assessed and applied in the context of Northern Ireland's health and social services.
	Work is currently underway to establish an Eating Disorder Service and at this stage of early development it is not possible to identify which recommendations in the NICE guidelines would be applicable. In setting up the service the evidence based work contained in the guidelines will be taken into consideration.

Government Investment

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Government investment in the (a) manufacturing and (b) non-manufacturing sector there was per employee in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Barry Gardiner: The principal forms of Government support for the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors of industry are provided by Invest NI and its predecessor agencies and the table therefore provides details of the assistance offered by Invest NI, the Industrial Development Board and the Local Enterprise Development Unit to their respective client companies. The assistance is expressed as a per capita amount offered, per employee in client companies in each of the respective sectors.
	The figures relate to assistance offered to companies in relation to business development projects as this represents the major form of funding provided. Providing equivalent figures relating to all other forms of assistance offered by these agencies could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The information in the table is restricted to the five year period from 1998–99 to 2002–03 as meaningful comparative data are not available for earlier years and are not yet available for 2003–04.
	
		Invest NI assistance offered per client company employee: 1998–99 to 2002–03 -- £
		
			  Manufacturing Non-manufacturing 
		
		
			 1998–99 583 1,571 
			 1999–2000 705 1,740 
			 2000–01 533 2,068 
			 2001–02 476 723 
			 2002–03 646 636

Grammar Schools

Seamus Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what capital expenditure there has been on each school in the grammar school sector in each year since 1989.

Barry Gardiner: Records are not readily available about the level of capital expenditure there has been, for both major and minor works, on each school in the grammar school sector since 1989. However, since 1994, the amount of capital investment announced for major capital works projects at each school in the grammar school sector is as follows:
	
		
			  Projects £ million 
		
		
			 1994–95   
			 Nil — — 
			
			 1995–96   
			 St. Columb's College, Londonderry New build extension 11.5 
			
			 1996–97   
			 Limavady GS New build extension 6.4 
			 Grosvenor GS, Belfast New build extension and refurbishment 4.4 
			
			 1997–98   
			 Lumen Christi College, Londonderry New build extension and refurbishment 5.1 
			
			 1998–99   
			 Aquinas GS, Belfast New school 10.1 
			
			 1999–2000   
			 Wellington College, Belfast New school 6.4 
			 Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor New school 11.9 
			 Thornhill College, Londonderry Phase 1 of new school 10.6 
			 St. Patrick's GS, Armagh Phase 1 extension 1.8 
			 Royal School, Dungannon New build extension and refurbishment 8.0 
			
			 2000–01   
			 Regent House School, Newtownards Phase 1 new build extension 6.7 
			 Antrim Grammar School New build extension and refurbishment 7.7 
			 Dominican College, Belfast New build extension and refurbishment 13.1 
			 Mount Lourdes GS, Enniskillen New build extension and sports hall 6.3 
			
			 2001–02   
			 Rathmore GS, Belfast New school 17.0 
			 Convent GS, Strabane Amalgamation with St. Colman's HS and Convent of Mercy  HS to form new school 20.0 
			
			 2002–03   
			 Our Lady and St. Patrick's College Knock, Belfast New school 17.7 
			 St. Patrick's GS, Downpatrick New school 11.8 
			 Thornhill College, Londonderry Phase 2 of new school 4.1 
			 Regent House School, Newtownards Phase 2 of extension and refurbishment 8.9 
			 2003–04   
			 St. Joseph's GS, Donaghmore New school 11.6 
			 St. Patrick's Academy, Dungannon New school 17.5 
			 St. Dominic's HS, Belfast Extension and refurbishment 16.7 
			 Assumption GS, Ballynahinch Extension and refurbishment 17.2 
			 Strathearn School, Belfast New school 10.0 
			 Grosvenor G.S. New school 11.5 
			 Abbey Christian Brothers' GS, Newry New school 12.2 
			 Dominican College, Portstewart New sports hall 0.9 
			 Mount Lourdes GS Enniskillen Refurbishment of existing accommodation 9.7 
			 St. Colman's College, Newry New sports hall 1.2 
			
			 2004–05   
			 Banbridge Academy Extension and refurbishment 17.8 
			 Strabane GS New school 11.6 
			 Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt New school 14.2 
			 Loreto GS, Omagh New school 14.6 
			 St. Colman's College, Newry Extension and refurbishment 10.1

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the waiting time is for (a) emergency, (b) urgent and (c) routine dermatology assessment in each health trust area; and how many patients are waiting in each case.

Angela Smith: Information requested in parts (a)–(c) is not collected centrally.
	Information on patients awaiting a first outpatient appointment is collected at Trust and specialty level. The latest available waiting list statistics show the position at 31 December 2003.
	
		Table 1: Number of patients awaiting a first out-patient appointment in the Dermatology specialty
		
			  Time waiting (months) 
			 Provider Trust 0–2 3–11 12–17 18–23 24+ Total 
		
		
			 The Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 766 786 128 45 53 1,778 
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 929 432 8 0 0 1,369 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust 859 1,444 255 229 353 3,140 
			 Down and Lisburn HSS Trust 238 314 99 34 16 701 
			 Mater Infirmorum HSS Trust 86 178 63 77 1 405 
			 Causeway HSS Trust 390 493 210 3 2 1,098 
			 United Hospitals HSS Trust 668 567 165 106 169 1,675 
			 Craigavon Area Hospitals Group HSS Trust 700 379 7 5 1 1,092 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 406 57 0 0 0 463 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 130 31 0 0 0 161 
			 Altnagelvin Area Hospitals HSS Trust 988 486 2 0 0 1,476 
			 Northern Ireland Total 6,160 5,167 937 499 595 13,358 
		
	
	Source:
	Regional Information Branch, DHSSPS

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of co-ordination and co-operation between the Province's health boards and trusts in relation to differences in waiting times for particular specialties at different hospitals.

Angela Smith: Health and Social Services boards and trusts are working closely together, and with the Department, to reduce hospital waiting times across Northern Ireland. A number of initiatives are being taken forward to ensure that available hospital capacity is being used as fully as possible. These initiatives include the transfer of patients between hospitals to facilitate earlier treatment, and the use of hospital facilities by visiting specialists from other hospitals to provide elective care for the local population.
	The level of collaboration between boards, trusts and the Department has been an important factor in reducing waiting times. Recognising this, my Department has recently established a Regional Waiting Lists and Emergency Pressures Steering Group comprising representatives from the Department, boards and trusts which will ensure that our efforts to reduce waiting times continue to be properly directed and co-ordinated across Northern Ireland.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the waiting times are for (a) initial outpatient assessment deemed (i) emergency, (ii) urgent and (iii) routine, (b) cataract surgery and (c) operations in general, within the ophthalmology specialty, at each hospital in the Province where such surgery is performed.

Angela Smith: Information requested at parts (a) (i)-(iii) and (b) is not collected centrally. Information on patients awaiting a first out-patient appointment or in-patient admission is collected at Trust and specialty level. The latest available waiting list statistics show the position at 31 December 2003.
	(a) At 31 December 2003 there were 16,985 patients in Northern Ireland awaiting a first out-patient appointment with an Ophthalmology consultant (Table 1).
	
		Table 1: Patients awaiting a first out-patient appointment in the Ophthalmology specialty
		
			  Time waiting (months) 
			 Provider trust 0–2 3–11 12–17 18–23 24+ Total 
		
		
			 The Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 1,950 2,433 305 64 29 4,781 
			 Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust 115 78 7 2 0 202 
			 Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust 841 1,006 265 55 90 2,257 
			 Down and Lisburn HSS Trust 244 373 114 6 1 738 
			 Mater Infirmorum HSS Trust 660 410 2 2 1 1,075 
			 Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust 463 1,043 227 98 40 1,871 
			 Newry and Mourne HSS Trust 251 451 156 97 180 1,135 
			 Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust 135 210 80 74 33 532 
			 Altnagelvin Area Hospitals HSS Trust 1,251 2,139 583 254 167 4,394 
			 Northern Ireland 5,910 8,143 1,739 652 541 16,985 
		
	
	Source:
	Regional Information Branch (DHSSPS)
	(c) At 31 December 2003 6,346 patients were awaiting admission to hospital in the Ophthalmology specialty (Table 2).
	
		Table 2: Patients awaiting admission to hospital in the Ophthalmology specialty
		
			  Time waiting (months) 
			 Provider trust 0–2 3–11 12–17 18–23 24+ Total 
		
		
			 The Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust 1,516 2,036 306 148 41 4,047 
			 Mater Infirmorum HSS Trust 359 367 10 3 0 739 
			 Down and Lisburn HSS Trust 78 138 3 0 0 219 
			 Craigavon Area Hospitals Group HSS Trust 133 254 55 4 0 446 
			 Altnagelvin Area Hospitals HSS Trust 406 436 48 5 0 895 
			 Northern Ireland 2,492 3,231 422 160 41 6,346 
		
	
	Source:
	Regional Information Branch (DHSSPS)

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of patients were admitted to hospital within nine months of referral for admission in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: 149,916 patients were admitted to hospital in Northern Ireland as elective admissions during 2003. 91 per cent. of these patients were admitted within nine months of referral.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce waiting time targets for hospital admissions.

Angela Smith: Reducing the length of time that patients wait for hospital admission is a key priority. I have already set targets this year in relation to the length of time patients wait for elective treatment which require Health and Social Services Boards and Trusts to ensure that, by 31 March 2005, 95 per cent. of patients requiring hospital inpatient or day case treatment are admitted within 12 months of being placed on a list; and that, other than in exceptional circumstances, no patient should be waiting for inpatient or day case treatment for more than 18 months by 31 March 2005, or more than 15 months by 31 March 2006.
	In relation to emergency admissions I have set a target by 31 March 2005 to reduce by one third the number of patients waiting more than two hours in an accident and emergency department between the decision to admit and admission to a ward compared to 2003–04 levels.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of patients were assessed by a specialist within two weeks of emergency referral in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of patients diagnosed with breast cancer were tested for HER2 in each health board area in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: All women diagnosed with breast cancer in Northern Ireland are automatically tested for HER2.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to improve technology used to detect sexually transmitted infections.

Angela Smith: From 1 September 2004 the Nucleic Acid Amplification Technique (NAAT) will be used across Northern Ireland to test for Chlamydia, the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection within the UK.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many consultant dermatologists there are in each health board area; and what plans there are to increase the number.

Angela Smith: Information in response to the first part of this question is as follows:
	
		Number of consultant dermatologists in each health board area as at 31 March 2004
		
			 Health board area Headcount Whole-time equivalent 
		
		
			 Eastern 10 7.83 
			 Southern 2 1.90 
			 Western 2 1.91 
			 Northern 2 2.00 
			 Total 16 13.64 
		
	
	Staffing is the responsibility of Health and Social Services Trusts, taking into account factors such as service needs and available resources. However, the Department has a role in ensuring that sufficient suitably qualified staff are available to meet the needs of the service and to monitor workforce levels in Trusts. This will be done through workforce planning mechanisms, which provide an analysis of the current workforce and of current and future recruitment and retention issues and encompasses issues such as the number of staff required to meet service demands. As at September 2003 there were seven specialist trainees in dermatology, which, allowing for retirements, is sufficient to increase consultant numbers to a projected level of 17 by 2010. The position, as with all hospital-based specialties, is reviewed annually and this informs decisions on investment in the future numbers in training.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many breast cancer patients were diagnosed in the last 12 months in the Province; and how many received treatment with Trastuzumab.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of breast cancer patients diagnosed in the last 12 months is not available. Information on the number who received treatment with Trastuzumab is not available centrally and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) consultations, (b) operations and (c) other procedures took place within the private sector in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by specialty.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the availability of (a) telemetry and (b) other cardiac monitoring equipment during periods of high workload at local hospitals in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The current level of cardiac monitoring and telemetry equipment at hospitals is adequate to cope with current demands, even during periods of high workload.

Irish Language

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Irish language advertisements were placed by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in each of the past three years.

Angela Smith: The number of Irish language adverts placed by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in each of the past three years are as follows:
	
		
			  April to March Number of Irish Language adverts 
		
		
			 2001–02 52 
			 2002–03 71 
			 2003–04 69

Irish Language

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Irish language applications were received by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in each of the past three years.

Angela Smith: In each of the past three years, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has not received any job applications written in Irish.

Irish Language

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost of Irish language advertisements placed by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was in each of the past three years.

Angela Smith: The total cost of Irish language advertisements placed by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in each of the past three years is as follows:
	
		
			  April to March Total cost for Irish advertising (£) 
		
		
			 2001–02 51,337.13 
			 2002–03 38,197 
			 2003–04 33, 845.91

July Orange Celebrations

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has to promote this year's 12 July Orange celebrations as an inward tourist attraction symbolising British culture in the Province.

Barry Gardiner: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) features the 12 July Orange parades on the events page of its consumer website www.discover northernireland.com. NITB has encouraged the Orange Order to supply any information that could be useful for promotional purposes.

Maiden City Festival

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding has been allocated through Northern Ireland departments to the Maiden City Festival in Londonderry in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: Funding for the Maiden City Festival from the Northern Ireland Departments has totalled £355,000 over the previous three years. This was comprised of £100,000 in 2001–02; £155,000 in 2002–03 and £100,800 in 2003–04.

Medical Prescriptions

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when electronic transmission of medical prescriptions will commence in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: A project that will include electronic transfer of prescriptions between community pharmacists and the Central Services Agency is currently being developed. The project timetable indicates that implementation will begin in May/June of 2005 with roll-out across HPSS due to be completed in September 2006. This project does not include electronic transfer of prescriptions from GP practices but planned developments in the NHS will be monitored with the intention of learning from their experience and introducing similar facilities in Northern Ireland.

Milk Cup Tournament

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the value to the Northern Ireland economy of the annual Milk Cup Football tournament.

Angela Smith: The Northern Ireland Events Company, sponsored by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure, has supported this event and commissioned independent research into the benefits generated by the 2003 NI Milk Cup. The report indicated that the value to the Northern Ireland economy was around £570,000. A copy of the full report will be placed in the Library.

Classroom Assistants (Braille)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many classroom assistants were trained in Braille in each of the last five years, broken down by board area.

Barry Gardiner: Training of this nature is generally sourced directly by schools in response to the needs of individual pupils and this information is therefore not readily available. However, Education and Library Boards have, in some cases arranged training in Braille for classroom assistants. The North Eastern Education and Library Board trained five classroom assistants in 2002; one in 2000; and one in 1999 while the South Eastern Education and Library Board trained one classroom assistant in 2001.

Health Care

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce national service frameworks in healthcare in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: National service frameworks are produced for the NHS in England. Although they have not been introduced to the health and social services in Northern Ireland, local service reviews over recent years in areas such as cardiac surgery and cardiology, cancer, renal services and diabetes have incorporated elements of national service frameworks where appropriate. In line with the Government's plans to raise standards of health and social care services in Northern Ireland, the need for further work in this area is being considered at present.

Health Care

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the costs to public funds arising from back pain in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: We estimate that the cost of treating complaints with a diagnosis of back pain in a hospital in-patient or day-case setting in Northern Ireland was £4.2 million in 2001–02 and £5.2 million for 2002–03. Further information is not available.

Health Care

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been provided for (a) dermatology and (b) sleep disorders in each of the past five years.

Angela Smith: My Department has not earmarked funding specifically for either dermatology or sleep disorders in each of the past five years. Expenditure on the treatment of sleep disorders is not available but expenditure over the last five years on the dermatology specialty in a hospital inpatient, day case or outpatient setting is as follows:
	
		£ million
		
			 Year ending March Dermatology expenditure 
		
		
			 1999 7.8 
			 2000 8.0 
			 2001 8.5 
			 2002 8.7 
			 2003 9.1

Mortality Statistics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of deaths were due to (a) respiratory disease, (b) cardiac disease and (c) cancer in Northern Ireland in (i) the last year for which figures are available, (ii) 1994, (iii) 1984 and (iv) 1974.

Ian Pearson: The following table gives the percentage of all deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2003, 1994, 1984 and 1974 caused by (a) respiratory disease 1 , (b) circulatory disease 2 and ischaemic heart disease 3 and (c) cancer 4 .
	1 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes J00-J99 for year 2003, Ninth Revision codes 460–519 for years 1994 and 1984 and Eighth Revision codes 460–519 for year 1974.
	2 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes I00-I99 for year 2003, Ninth Revision codes 390–459 for years 1994 and 1984 and Eighth Revision codes 390–458 for year 1974. 3 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes I20-I25 for year 2003, Ninth Revision codes 410–414 for years 1994 and 1984 and Eighth Revision codes 410–414 for year 1974. 4 International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes C00-C97 for year 2003, Ninth Revision codes 140–208 for years 1994 and 1984 and Eighth Revision codes 140–207 for year 1974.
	
		Table: Number and percentage of all registered deaths in Northern Ireland caused by respiratory disease, circulatory disease, ischaemic heart disease and cancer: 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2003
		
			  Number of deaths Percentage of deaths 
			 Cause of death 1974 1984 1994 2003 1 1974 1984 1994 2003 1 
		
		
			 Respiratory disease 2,223 1,952 2,398 2,082 12.8 12.4 15.9 14.4 
			 Circulatory disease 9,153 8,178 7,011 5,448 52.8 52.1 46.4 37.7 
			 Ischaemic heart disease 4,713 4,867 4,168 2,843 27.2 31.0 27.6 19.7 
			 Cancer 2,866 3,290 3,595 3,757 16.5 21.0 23.8 26.0 
			 All deaths 17,326 15,692 15,114 14,462 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	(31) Data for 2003 are provisional

MOT Testing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles entered the MOT test in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many failed.

Angela Smith: The number of full tests and re-tests (previous test failures) carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency for all vehicle categories for which roadworthiness certificates are required, including those generally referred to as MOT tests, is set out in the following table. It should be noted that the re-test figures can include multiple re-tests on a single vehicle. The re-test figures do not include vehicles that fail the full test but are not subsequently presented for re-test.
	
		
			  Number of full tests Number of re-tests 
		
		
			 1999–2000 438,022 89,209 
			 2000–01 439,746 86,432 
			 2001–02 463,386 92,360 
			 2002–03 483,776 103,732 
			 2003–04 516,100 120,104

Nurses

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of employing each additional nurse.

Angela Smith: Newly qualified nurses are usually appointed at a starting salary of £17,060 per annum. The overall salary cost for an employer in respect of a newly qualified nurse is estimated as £19,875 per annum.

Physical Punishment

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish his Department's response to the Office of Law Reform's consultation paper, Physical Punishment in the Home—Thinking about the Issues, Looking at the Evidence.

Ian Pearson: Officials in the Office of Law Reform have prepared an analysis of the responses to the Consultation Paper—"Physical Punishment in the Home—Thinking about the Issues, Looking at the Evidence"—which they are aiming to publish in mid-June.
	A copy of the analysis will be placed on the Office of Law Reform's website and I have asked for a copy to be forwarded to the hon. Lady as soon as it becomes available.

Proceeds of Crime (Northern Ireland) Order

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time has been for assets of defendants to be frozen in cases while they were being prosecuted under the Proceeds of Crime (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

Ian Pearson: The information requested cannot be provided as data are not recorded in a way which would allow an accurate assessment to be made of the average length of time that defendants assets are frozen. A restraint order is obtained at the outset of criminal proceedings when an individual is charged or is about to be charged and remains in force until any confiscation order is satisfied in full.

Proceeds of Crime (Northern Ireland) Order

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have had their assets frozen while being prosecuted under the Proceeds of Crime (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 in each year since the introduction of the order.

Ian Pearson: A substantial manual search of records is required to collate the information requested. I will write to the hon. Gentleman with this information once it is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Proscribed Terrorist Organisations

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implications for counter-terrorist policy of the ruling of 26 May of Mr. Justice Girvan, in the case of Mullan and others, about the definition of proscribed terrorist organisations.

Ian Pearson: Following the RIRA judgment, the Attorney-General announced on 28 May that he would refer the ruling to the Court of Appeal. It would be inappropriate to comment further on matters which could be before the Court. It is however the Secretary of State's position that RIRA was proscribed under the Terrorism Act and he remains of the view that RIRA should be proscribed. The Secretary of State has made it clear that he will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that RIRA is proscribed.

Sick Leave

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of work days lost as a result of (a) depression, (b) stress-related illness and (c) back pain in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: Information on the number of working days lost as a result of (a) depression, (b) stress-related illness or (c) back pain is not available for Northern Ireland.
	However, for information, latest figures from the Winter 2003–04 Labour Force Survey estimated that in the previous year 12,000 people suffered from a back problem and 8,000 people suffered from stress or depression that was caused or made worse by a job or work done in the past.

Sleep Apnoea

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of sleep apnoea sufferers in Northern Ireland in each of the last 20 years.

Angela Smith: Current estimates suggest that in Northern Ireland there are 30,000 people with sleep apnoea of whom approximately 3,000 are categorised as having clinically significant sleep apnoea. Precise figures and historical data are not available.

Sleep Apnoea

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of sleep apnoea sufferers receiving treatment with continuous positive airway pressure machines in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: It was estimated in September 2003 that there were approximately 430 sleep apnoea patients on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines in Northern Ireland.

Sleep Apnoea

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many clinics for sleep apnoea sufferers there are in the Province.

Angela Smith: A designated sleep apnoea clinic is held regularly in the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Belfast City Hospital.
	Other hospitals in Northern Ireland have clinics which can assess sleep apnoea patients as well as patients with other respiratory problems.

Small Businesses

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public money was spent on assisting small businesses in Northern Ireland during 2003.

Barry Gardiner: Invest NI records and reports information on a financial year basis as opposed to a calendar year basis, therefore this response relates assistance to Invest NI clients in the financial year 2003–04.
	In 2003–04 a total of £56.45 million was offered to companies falling within the definition small businesses (less than 50 employees). This figure reports assistance offered rather than money that has actually been paid. Information on offers is more indicative of the current activities and policies of Invest NI as most of the payments in any one year relate to offers of assistance made in a number of previous years.

South Armagh Terrorist Incidents

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what investigations have been carried out into possible collusion between the Provisional IRA and officers in the Gardai Siochana in the Irish Republic concerning terrorist incidents in the South Armagh area in early 1985 which resulted in 13 RUC officers being murdered.

Ian Pearson: The Chief Constable has not raised this issue with me and since it is principally a matter for the Government of the Republic of Ireland I would advise the hon. Gentleman to write directly to the Department of Justice, Equity and Law reform.

Teenage Abortions

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many abortions there were among females from Northern Ireland aged 11 to 19 years in each year since 2000, broken down by age.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Services

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients were seen within four hours of presenting at accident and emergency departments at (a) St. Helier and (b) St. George's Hospital in 2003–04.

John Hutton: This information is collected at national health service trust level rather than individual hospital unit. Information for St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust and Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is available at http://www.performance. doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.
	Copies are available in the Library.

Accident and Emergency Services

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients presented in accident and emergency in (a) St George's NHS Trust Hospital and (b) St Helier NHS Trust Hospital in each of the past four years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Information on the number of attendances at accident and emergency for each National Health Service trust is published and available at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.
	Copies of the tables for each quarter from 2001–02 are available in the Library. Prior to this, information was published annually in Outpatient and ward attenders, England, copies of which are available in the Library.

Acupuncturists

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his proposals for statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture will require health practitioners using the title acupuncturist but registered with existing statutory bodies to be subject to additional regulation if they wish to continue to use the title acupuncturist.

John Hutton: holding answer 27 May 2004
	On 2 March the Department published proposals for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners. The consultation period closes on 7 June. We are aware of the interests of acupuncturists registered with existing statutory bodies and will consider their representations very carefully.

Addenbrooke's Hospital/Papworth NHS Trust

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the members are of the patients' forum for (a) Addenbrooke's Hospital and (b) the Papworth NHS Trust.

Rosie Winterton: Following a period of consultation to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the names of patients' forum members will be available on the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health website from 1 July 2004. Names will be listed under each forum and contact can be made through the appropriate forum support organisation.

Agency Nurses

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost to the NHS of agency nurses was in 2002–03 in (a) each strategic health authority and (b) each NHS trust;
	(2)  how much was spent by each NHS trust on agency nurses in the latest year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: The information in cash terms has been placed in the Library.

Air Ambulance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of air ambulances in (a) saving lives and (b) reducing morbidity.

Rosie Winterton: Previous research in the early 1990s did not demonstrate that the benefits of helicopter ambulances in terms of outcomes for patients were sufficient to justify investment in these services by the national health service. Since then, development of the helicopter ambulance service nationally and wider developments in emergency care have created a new environment within which the performance of helicopter ambulances can be assessed. The Department has therefore commissioned primary research to examine the role and effectiveness of air ambulance services in the modern NHS. The first stage, which reviewed the current research evidence, has now been completed. The report can be found at www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/mcru/reports/HEASrev.pdf
	In light of the findings of the report, the Department is currently considering further research.

Air Ambulance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were transported to NHS hospitals in England by air ambulance in 2003.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Air Ambulance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of air ambulance services to the NHS was in 2003.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally. The Department informed ambulance services and their commissioners in January 2002 that the cost of clinical staff on air ambulances should, from 1 April 2002, be met by the National Health Service on a continuing basis.

Alzheimer's

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department will be taking to support Alzheimer's Awareness Week from 13 to 20 June.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government is a keen supporter of Alzheimer's awareness week. It is essential that awareness of the needs of people with dementia and of their carers is raised, to help ensure that those needs are met.

Ambulance Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the distribution of equipment to ambulance trusts to prepare for a major terrorist attack.

John Hutton: The Department has received a number of parliamentary questions and items of correspondence from hon. and right hon. Members. I refer the hon. Member to the responses I gave to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer) on 30 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1374–75W.

Asthma

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to investigate the impact of particulates in air pollution in causing asthma.

Melanie Johnson: The Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) is producing a report on air pollution and asthma. It will include the effect of airborne particle exposure on people with asthma. The report is expected to be published in 2005 and will update COMEAP's last report on this subject, which was published in 1995.

Breastfeeding

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about restrictions on the advertising of breastmilk substitutes in line with the World Health Organisation code of practice.

Melanie Johnson: No discussions have taken place with Ministerial colleagues in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport about the restrictions on the advertising of breastmilk substitutes in line with the World Health Organisation code of practice. Currently we are exploring with the Food Standards Agency ways in which elements of the European Community Directive on infant formula could be better aligned to the international code.

Bureaucracy Statement (Briefing)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department's officials provided briefing to journalists on 19 May concerning the content of his written statement to the House on 20 May on reducing bureaucracy in the NHS.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 5 May 2004
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced the review of departmental arm's length bodies to the Health Select Committee on 30 October 2003, and officials have answered media inquiries on the progress of the review on a number of occasions since then.

Care Homes

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of general practitioners who (a) own, (b) part own and (c) manage care homes for the elderly in England.

Stephen Ladyman: I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that the CSCI has not made any estimate of the number of general practitioners who own, part own or manage care homes for elderly people in England. However, a report issued by the NCSC in March 2004, "The management of medication in care services 2002–03" stated that 161 care homes for older people were registered to people who called themselves "doctor" in 2002–03.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential and nursing home beds were available in (a) England and (b) each local authority at the end of each year since 1996–97.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows the number of residential and nursing care home places for people aged 18 and over in England at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2001. Information on residential care home places by council with social services responsibilities (CSSR) and nursing care home places by health authority (HA) has been placed in the Library.
	Figures for later years have been collected by the National Care Standards Commission but comparable details broken down by CSSR and HA are not available.
	
		Number of residential and nursing care home places at 31 March 1997 to 2001, England -- Rounded numbers
		
			  Residential care home places Nursing care home places(32) 
		
		
			 1997 338,140 196,270 
			 1998 347,910 205,590 
			 1999 344,040 202,150 
			 2000 345,910 193,330 
			 2001 341,180 186,830 
		
	
	(32) Includes places in general nursing homes, mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
	Source:
	Department of Health forms RA, RH(N) and K036.

Care Qualifications

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have qualified with NVQ level 2 in care in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The following table shows the number of people in England who have achieved their national vocational qualification (NVQ) level 2 in care from April 2000 to December 2003. These people can be working in either social care or health care settings, as the statistics do not state what job the candidate has and the care NVQ level 2 is undertaken by both social care workers and health care workers.
	Prior to April 2000, this data on NVQs was only collected on a United Kingdom basis and it was not possible to determine how many of the candidates worked in England.
	
		
			  Period Number of care NVQ level 2 certificates issued 
		
		
			 January-December 2000 8,451 
			 January-December 2001 12,637 
			 January-December 2002 17,932 
			 January-December 2003 25,025 
			 Total 64,045

Carers

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on supporting carers in Warrington North in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The carers grant was introduced in 1999 to support councils in providing short breaks for carers to enable them to continue in their caring role. The table shows carers grant allocations for Warrington.
	
		£
		
			  Allocations 
		
		
			 1999–2000 64,664 
			 2000–01 156,906 
			 2001–02 217,673 
			 2002–03 264,498 
			 2003–04 334,900 
			 2004–05 417,725 
		
	
	Details of any additional funds used to support carers are not held centrally.

Charges to Overseas Visitors

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many charities working in international development were contacted in the consultation exercise on proposed changes to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989; what representations they made; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost was of the consultation exercise in relation to the proposed changes to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989;
	(3)  how many copies of the consultation document on proposed changes to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 were printed; and how many responses were received.

John Hutton: Copies of the consultation document were sent to a wide range of organisations with an interest in these matters, including several charities working with asylum seekers and other overseas visitors. A copy of the summary of outcomes document, which lists all those who responded to the consultation, is available in the Library, together with copies of 122 of the 124 responses received. The remaining two respondees exercised their right to have their responses remain confidential.
	1,000 copies of the consultation document were printed. The print and estimated mailing costs for the consultation exercise were just under £3,000.

Immigration

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a chest x-ray is mandatory at a port of entry for immigration in the United Kingdom where it is clinically indicated.

Melanie Johnson: It is a matter for the clinical judgment of the medical inspector at a port of entry whether to refer a person seeking entry to the United Kingdom for an x-ray or other diagnostic examination. Medical inspectors are also able to pass entrants' details to the national health service at their destination address, so that any further can be offered locally.

Chronic Disease Management

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what opportunities patients' groups will have for input into plans for chronic disease management clinics.

John Hutton: The involvement of patients and patient groups is a crucial part of the strategy that the Department and the national health service are developing to deliver better services to people with chronic conditions. To that end we shall be encouraging primary care trusts to engage fully with patient groups in developing their plans.

Chronic Disease Management

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if his Department will publish exemplars for chronic disease management clinics;
	(2)  what criteria he is using to select exemplars for chronic disease management clinics.

John Hutton: The Department is currently working with the national health service to develop a strategy to offer better services to people with chronic conditions. The role of exemplars has not yet been decided.

Chronic Disease Management

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when his Department will publish details of his proposals on chronic disease management clinics;
	(2)  what funding the Government will make available for chronic disease management clinics.

John Hutton: The Department is working with the national health service to develop a strategy on chronic disease, the aim of which is to help keep people with such conditions healthy. This strategy is focusing initially on providing case management, for people with complex needs, and on developing self care support to help people take control of their own conditions. It will be a decision for primary care trusts as to whether clinics are a part of their approach to delivering better care to people with chronic conditions, and, if so, what timescales and resources are attached to their development.

Chronic Disease Management

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to set up chronic disease management clinics for inflammatory skin disease.

John Hutton: The Department is working with the national health service to develop a strategy on chronic disease whose aim is to help keep people with such conditions healthy. This strategy is focusing initially on providing case management, for people with complex needs, and on developing self care support to help people take control of their own conditions. However, it is for primary care trusts to determine the best way to deliver services to people with skin conditions, whether through clinics or other delivery means.

Chronic Disease Management

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action his Department is taking to develop chronic disease management clinics;
	(2)  what timescale has been set for the establishment of chronic disease management clinics;
	(3)  what disease areas are being considered for chronic disease management clinics; and what plans he has to include dermatology as one of those disease areas.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, North (Mr. Cook) today.

Clinical Advisers (IT Forum)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the NHS IT forum of clinical advisers has met; and when it last met.

John Hutton: Previous meetings of the National Clinical Advisory Board were held on:
	2 October 2003
	27 November 2003
	15 January 2004
	16 March 2004
	13 May 2004.
	The Department issued a press notice on 30 April 2004 to outline the plans to continue and improve engagement with patient and national health service stakeholders in order to support the implementation of the national programme for information technology (NPfIT). This follows on from the appointment of Aidan Halligan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, as joint senior responsible owner and director general for NPfIT, who now has responsibility for leading on the preparations and planning for implementation across the NHS.
	The first step has been to set up a new frontline support academy for clinicians. The formal arrangements for engaging with key groups is also being reviewed and an announcement will be made later in the summer.

Communications Consultants

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what procurement and tendering systems are used by NHS bodies in the appointment of communications consultants, with particular reference to the appointment by the Shaping Health Services Project Board of Clear Communications;
	(2)  what the total cost to date is to the (a) Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority, (b) Chiltern and South Bucks Primary Care Trust, (c) Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust, (d) Wycombe Primary Care Trust, (e) Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, (f) Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust and (g) Two Shires Ambulance Trust of employing Clear Communications as communications consultants in relation to the Shaping Health Services proposals for health service provision in Buckinghamshire;
	(3)  when the (a) Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority, (b) Chiltern and South Bucks Primary Care Trust, (c) Vale of Aylesbury Primary Care Trust, (d) Wycombe Primary Care Trust, (e) Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, (f) Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust and (g) Two Shires Ambulance Trust agreed to accept a share in the cost of employing Clear Communications as communications consultants in relation to the Shaping Health Services proposals for health service provision in Buckinghamshire;
	(4)  how many NHS bodies in England and Wales are employing Clear Communications as communications consultants;
	(5)  what the total cost to NHS bodies in England has been of payments to Clear Communications in (a) 2003, (b) 2002 and (c) 2001.

John Hutton: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The Department does not hold this information.

Computer File Formats

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is in respect of the computer file formats used for the (a) distribution and (b) archiving of publicly available documents.

Rosie Winterton: The Department uses a number of file formats in addition to HTML on its website. All major publications are made available in Adobe portable document format (PDF). Other formats used include rich text format (RTF), Microsoft Word, plain text, comma separated value (CSV), Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, audio and video file formats.
	The use of the above formats depends on the specific information and the use to which it will be put. For example, statistical publications such as statistical bulletins are normally available in PDF with the associated data available as Excel spreadsheets; online forms that health and social care professionals are required to complete or wish to re-use are made available in Word and RTF; presentations are usually made available in PDF and Microsoft PowerPoint format.
	In archiving electronic documents, the Department aims to preserve documents in these formats.

Dentistry

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (a) have NHS registered patients, (b) are accepting new NHS patients and (c) have no NHS registrations.

Rosie Winterton: There are 92 dental practice addresses in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for the general dental service (GDS) and personal dental service (PDS) of the national health service. 84 practice addresses have registered patients. Eight practice addresses have no registrations, of which four are for emergency only. Two are PDS practices which do not have patient registrations and one GDS practice does orthodontic work only.
	The available information on practices accepting new patients is on the NHS.UK website at www.nhs.uk. There are three primary care trusts (PCTs) in the Cornwall area: Central Cornwall PCT; North and East Cornwall PCT and West of Cornwall PCT. The table shows the number of practices in each PCT accepting new patients by type of patient on 24 May.
	
		Number of dental practices in Cornwall and Isle of Scilly accepting new NHS patients by type of patient
		
			 PCT Registering children aged 0 to 18 years for NHS treatment Charge paying adults Charge exempt adults Occasional non-registered patients 
		
		
			 Central Cornwall 8 3 3 1 
			 North and East  Cornwall 5 2 2 — 
			 West of Cornwall 3 2 2 3 
			  
			 Total 16 7 7 4

Dentistry

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of NHS dentistry in (a) South West Surrey constituency and (b) Surrey.

Rosie Winterton: The proposals in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 in relation to primary dental services represent the most radical reform of national health service dentistry since 1948. They will give a better deal for patients, for dentists and for the NHS. Under these proposals, primary care trusts (PCTs) will have a duty to secure the provision of primary dental services.
	Nationally, we have provided new investment totalling £90 million over the last year. £59 million will support access, and strategic health authorities (SHAs) have been advised of their shares and are working with their PCTs to address access issues. £30 million is to support information technology and the balance of £1 million will support organisational development locally.
	The PCTs in Surrey are working closely with their SHA (Surrey and Sussex) supported by the shadow special health authority (dentistry) to improve local dental access using their share of the access funds: some £1.69 million in 2004–05.

Departmental Staff

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have left employment in his Department because of (a) anxiety, (b) stress, (c) depression and (d) other mental health reasons in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not keep a record of the number of staff who have left the Department because of anxiety, stress, depression or mental health reasons.
	The Department is committed to its legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and to reducing the number of working days lost to work-related injuries and illness.

Dermatology

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include skin diseases in the Department of Health's range of recognised chronic conditions.

John Hutton: The Department is working with the national health service to develop a strategy on chronic disease, the aim of which will be to help people with such conditions healthy. The strategy will not aim to give official recognition to particular conditions as being chronic, but will focus initially on providing case management for people with complex needs and on developing care support to help people take control of their own conditions.

Dietary Sodium Intake

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on levels of dietary sodium intake; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The NHS Plan (2000) highlighted the Government's commitment to reducing the level of salt in the diet. The Government endorses the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recommendation that reducing current salt consumption would have significant public health benefits by reducing average population blood pressure levels. The report also makes recommendations for children for the first time.
	As 75 per cent. of salt in the diet is from processed foods, the Government, working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), has made a commitment to initiatives with the food industry—including manufacturers and caterers—to improve the overall balance of diet including salt, fat and sugar in food.
	In November last year, I asked industry for plans for action on reducing salt in food. The plans I received earlier this year showed that industry is taking some steps in reducing salt in food, but that there is still a long way to go. Further discussions with industry will take place to look at identifying greater year-on-year progress and ways of monitoring progress.
	The FSA has also set salt targets—to reduce average salt intake by 10 per cent., or approximately 1g. per day, by 2005–06 and, in the long term, to reduce the average population intake by a third over the next five years—bringing intakes down to the recommended 6g. per day. The Department supports these targets.

Doctors' Language Tests

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what language tests are required for doctors employed by the NHS who were trained in other EU member states.

John Hutton: Doctors who are nationals of European Economic Area states do not have to undertake English language tests in order to register with the General Medical Council. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that all staff have the necessary language skills to carry out their duties safely, regardless of which country they come from.

Drug Testing

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to provide the National Institute for Clinical Excellence with additional powers to ensure negative test results by pharmaceutical companies are published; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure that health regulators assessing the safety of drugs for general release are able to make judgments based on unbiased data sets.

Rosie Winterton: Regarding the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 18 May 2004, Official Report, column 995W, to my hon. Friend the Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Watson) and the reply given on 19 May 2004, Official Report, column 1027W, by the Under-Secretary of State for Health, the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Miss Johnson) to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock).
	Mechanisms are in place to ensure that health regulators assessing the safety of drugs for general release are able to make judgments based on unbiased data sets. Pharmaceutical legislation specifically requires that all information which is relevant to the evaluation of the medicinal product concerned shall be included in the application, whether favourable or unfavourable to the product.

Dyspepsia

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the cost of NHS prescribed medicines for dyspepsia in each year from 2000;
	(2)  what estimate he made of the change in NHS spending on dyspepsia arising from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance published in 2000;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the spending on drugs for treatment of dyspepsia as a percentage of (a) the total expenditure on drugs for gastro-intestinal conditions and (b) the total primary care drugs budget in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The net ingredient cost of drugs prescribed for the treatment of dyspepsia and dispensed in the community in England is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Net ingredient cost (£000) 
		
		
			 2000 580,277.5 
			 2001 584,264.0 
			 2002 621,525.6 
			 2003 636,766.9 
		
	
	These figures include medicines listed in sections 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.3.1 and 1.3.5 of the British National Formulary.
	The figure shown in the table for 2003 represents approximately 76 per cent. of the total expenditure on drugs for gastro-intestinal conditions, and 6.5 per cent. of the cost of all prescription items dispensed in the community.
	A number of factors are believed to have influenced spending on medicines for dyspepsia. We have made no estimate of the effect of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance compared with other factors.

Elderly Care Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care homes for the elderly are registered as catering for people with dementia; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: There are currently 3,687 care homes for elderly people registered as catering for people with dementia.

Elderly Care Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 65 years and over who have dementia; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: There is no routine collection of information on the number of people living with dementia. The research quoted by the older people's national service framework in 2001 estimated that approximately 600,000 people in the United Kingdom have dementia, of whom about 583,000 are aged 65 years and above. The prevalence and incidence of dementia increases with age. It is estimated that about five per cent, of people over 65 have dementia, rising to about 20 per cent. in the population over 80. Alzheimer's disease causes up to 60 per cent. of cases of dementia.

Elderly Care Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 65 years or over who have learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The White Paper, "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (March 2001), estimated that there were around 25,000 older people, out of a total of around 210,000 people, with severe and profound learning disabilities. In the case of people with mild/moderate learning disabilities, the White Paper stated that estimates suggest a prevalence rate of around 25 per 100,000 population (all ages)—some 1.2 million people in England.

Foundation Hospitals

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what formula has been used to decide how much of the money allocated to smooth the transition of hospitals to foundation status each Foundation Trust receives; and what amount has been given to each Foundation Trust hospital.

John Hutton: National Health Service foundation trust applicants in wave one were allocated £250,000 in financial support to assist them in their preparations for their application and establishment as a NHS foundation trust. The amount was agreed through discussion with applicants. Financial support for wave one A and future waves is being agreed in a similar way.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate how many general practitioners will retire in each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect information on the number of general practitioners who will retire in each of the next three years.

GM Food

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which laboratory facilities will be available to test for GM presence in the labelling of (a) food and (b) feed, as required by EU Directive 2001/18 in Regulation (EC) 1829/2003;
	(2)  what system has been set up to check the reliability of labelling for the presence of GM in food to meet the requirements to label set down by EU Directive 2001/18 from April;
	(3)  what provision he is putting in place to implement labelling of (a) GM animal feed and (b) the meat derived from animals fed on GM feed in accordance with EU Directive 2001/18 and Regulation (EC) 1829/2003.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 26 May 2004
	Regulation (EC) 1829/2003, genetically modified (GM) food and feed lays down rules for the labelling of all GM food and feed products derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), regardless of the presence or absence of GM material in the final food or feed product. Products from animals fed GM animal feed are exempt from the labelling requirements. Regulation (EC) 1830/2003 on traceability and labelling of GM organisms (GMOs) provides a European Union-wide system for identifying GM products throughout the food and feed supply chain.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are currently carrying out a joint consultation on the draft domestic legislation, which will implement these EC regulations. The consultation ends on 25 June.
	Enforcement of Regulation 1829/2003 is the responsibility of local authorities. FSA officials have provided information to local authorities and met with local authority co-ordination of regulatory services officials and trading standards officers to discuss the requirements of these regulations.
	There are five United Kingdom Accreditation Service accredited public analyst laboratories in the UK, which can carry out testing for GM ingredients. Testing can only be carried out where GM material (DNA or protein) is present. For products derived from GMOs, and where no GM material is present, labelling will need to be verified by a paper audit trail.

GP Registrars

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of changes in general practitioner registrar numbers and funding in London since 1997;
	(2)  how many doctors have entered the general practitioner vocational training scheme in the last three years.

John Hutton: Information on numbers of general practitioner registrars is shown in the table.
	
		
			  1997 1999 2001 2002 2003 Change since 1997 Percentage change since 1997 
		
		
			 London 208 221 244 282 348 140 67 
			 England 1,343 1,520 1,883 1,980 2,235 892 66 
		
	
	Note: Data as at 1 October 1997–99, 30 September 2000–03.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	Funding for GP registrars is included in strategic health authorities' multi-professional education and training allocations. In 2004–05, these allocations will be increased by almost £10 million to fund £134 new GP registrars, 10 of which will be in London. We remain committed to increasing the number of GP registrars in the National Health Service and, having exceeded the NHS Plan target of 450 (later updated to 550) more GP registrars over the 1999 baseline, nine months early, work continues to recruit even more.

Haemophiliacs

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements to the services available to haemophiliacs on the National Health Service have been made since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: In 1998 the Government provided funding to place all haemophilia patients under 16 on synthetic clotting factors. These patients have continued to receive synthetic products as they have grown older. In February last year we announced additional funding of £88 million over three years to extend the availability of these products to adult haemophilia patients. The Government's aim is that by March 2006 the vast majority of haemophilia patients will be receiving synthetic clotting factors.

Haemophiliacs

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when haemophiliacs who contracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood will receive the ex gratia payment offers from the Department of Health that he has announced.

Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk, East (Mr Connarty) on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1464W.

Health Services (Nottinghamshire)

Alan Meale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients were waiting for (a) appointments and (b) operations in Nottinghamshire health authority areas on 1 January in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Total number of in-patients on the waiting list at 31 December for each year since 1997 for the Nottinghamshire area—in-patient provider based
		
			 NHS trust 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 5,900 6,037 5,486 4,883 4,633 
			 Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 574 875 917 772 714 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 12,423 12,078 10,793 10,168 8,902 
			 King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust 4,085 6,009 5,456 5,238 5,113 
			 Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust 0 94 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  As at 31 December: 
			 NHS trust 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 5,283 5,657 4,786 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 9,556 9,981 7,492 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust(33) 2 0 0 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust(34) 5,942 5,424 5,417 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH07.
	
		Patients waiting for a first out-patient appointment over 13 weeks as at 31 December for each year since 1997 for the Nottinghamshire area. Weeks waiting to be seen from a general practitioner referral to consultant appointment—out-patient provider based
		
			 NHS Trust Not seen 13 to 25 26+ Total 13+ 
		
		
			 December 1996
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 580 207 787 
			 Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 247 789 1,036 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 2,194 737 2,931 
			 King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust 0 0 0 
			 Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust 160 273 433 
			 
			 December 1997
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 739 258 997 
			 Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 304 133 437 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 5,645 5,039 10,684 
			 King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust 1,847 1,133 2,980 
			 Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust 62 57 119 
			 
			 December 1998
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 1,172 372 1,544 
			 Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 157 22 179 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 6,490 5,615 12,105 
			 King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust 2,161 764 2,925 
			 Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust 6 11 17 
			 
			 December 1999
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 1,006 353 1,359 
			 Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 218 6 224 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 4,730 4,563 9,293 
			 King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust 2,193 1,167 3,360 
			 Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust 0 0 0 
			 
			 December 2000
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 953 344 1,297 
			 Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 224 14 238 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 3,749 2164 5,913 
			 King's Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust 1,504 480 1,984 
			 Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust 10 0 10 
			 
			 December 2001
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 1,221 173 1,394 
			 Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 3,153 1,058 4,211 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust(33) 9 1 10 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust(34) 1,999 230 2,229 
		
	
	
		Weeks
		
			 NHS Trust Not seen 13 to less than 17 17 to less than 21 21 to less than 26 26+ Total 13+ 
		
		
			 December 2002  
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 362 72 0 0 434 
			 Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University Hospital  NHS Trust 977 495 276 0 1,748 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust(33) 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust(34) 1,205 542 18 0 1,765 
			   
			 December 2003  
			 Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 241 5 0 0 246 
			 Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University Hospital  NHS Trust 568 179 0 0 747 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust(33) 4 2 0 0 6 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust(34) 842 108 0 0 950 
		
	
	(33) In April 2001, Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust became Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
	(34) In March 2001 the Central Nottinghamshire NHS Trust was abolished, and Newark Hospital from the Central Nottinghamshire NHS Trust was combined with the King's Mill Centre for Healthcare Services NHS Trust to form Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust.
	Source:
	Department of Health form QM08.

Health Test Charges

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the administration costs of collecting charges for (a) eye check-ups, (b) dental check-ups and (c) prescriptions.

Rosie Winterton: There are no charges for sight tests provided under the national health service. Sight tests are free to children, older people, people on low income and those susceptible to eye disease who can benefit most from regular sight tests.
	More than 85 per cent., of the total income from prescription charges is collected by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors as part of the dispensing of medicines. Charges for dental examinations are collected by dentists. There is no separately identifiable element of the remuneration of any of these professions attributable to the charge collection function.
	The administration costs of the sale of prescription pre-payment certificates, which account for the remainder of the income from prescription charges, are around £1.5 million per year.

Hepatitis C

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the number of people infected by hepatitis C.

Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on Monday 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 192W.

ICT Training

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his budget is for staff training in information and communication technology in this financial year.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not hold a corporate budget for training in information and communications technology (ICT). Individual business units will assign funds to ICT training according to business need. Programmes to implement Department-wide applications or upgrades to desktop software packages will have a funding allocation for training. In the financial year 200405, although there is no formal corporate budget, the Department expects to spend in the region of 250,000 on training in information and communication technology.

Intermediate Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many intermediate care places there were (a) in March 2004 and (b) at the 19992000 baseline; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many extra intermediate care beds have been provided since the 19992000 baseline.

Stephen Ladyman: The data are currently being validated. The information requested will be placed in the Library as soon as the validation process is completed.

Iraq

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) allied health professionals and (d) others employed in the NHS are providing assistance in Iraq.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect details centrally of the number of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and other national health service staff providing assistance in Iraq.
	In support of military commitments in Iraq, however, according to the Ministry of Defence, currently about 200 military medical reservists (a term covering doctors, nurses and allied health professionals) are deployed with the defence medical services. Many of these are likely to work in the NHS.

Lymphoedema

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to raise awareness amongst medical professions about methods of treating lymphoedema.

Stephen Ladyman: The content and standard of postgraduate medical training for specialist medicine is the responsibility of the United Kingdom competent authority, the Specialist Training Authority (STA). The STA takes advice from the appropriate Royal College, which appreciates the requirements presented by different conditions and develop their training curricula as appropriate. Doctors increasingly recognise that lymphoedema requires skilled management to maximise the quality of life for people with this condition.
	In 2002, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence updated the Improving Outcomes in Breast Cancer guidance. The guidance makes various recommendations about lymphoedema. These include that cancer networks should agree guidelines for identifying and managing lymphoedema and that a lymphoedema service should be available for all patients who require it.

Maternity Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the costs to the NHS of (a) a Caesarean section and (b) a normal vaginal delivery was in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The costs to the national health service of caesarean sections and normal vaginal delivery are shown in the table.
	
		
		
			 HRG code HRG label National average unit cost per day case finished consultant episode (FCE) National average unit cost per non-elective inpatient FCE National average unit cost per elective inpatient FCE 
		
		
			 N06 Normal delivery with complications and comorbidities 432 1,496 1,598 
			 N07 Normal delivery without complications and comorbidities 386 817 956 
			 N08 Assisted delivery with complications and comorbidities 307 1,768 1,664 
			 N09 Assisted delivery without complications and comorbidities 360 1,254 1,323 
			 N10 Caesarean section with complications and comorbidities 536 2,865 2,803 
			 N11 Caesarean section without complications and comorbidities 439 2,062 2,113 
		
	
	Source:
	National schedule of reference costs 2003: Appendix 1NHS trusts own data.
	The reference costs 2003 are collected from each NHS provider in England and are used to provide national average costs related to specific treatments and procedures. They have been available from 1998, although the range of services that has been included each year is iterative.

Maternity Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) normal vaginal, (b) Caesarean section and (c) other deliveries there were in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The numbers and percentages of national health service hospital deliveries that were normal vaginal, by caesarean section and by other methods for each of the last 10 years are shown in the tables.
	
		1. Vaginal deliveries without use of instruments(35), NHS hospitals, England, 199394 to 200203
		
			  Estimated number of vaginal deliveries Percentage of deliveries that were vaginal 
		
		
			 200203 368,300 67.2 
			 200102 361,900 66.8 
			 200001 368,600 67.1 
			 19992000 383,200 67.8 
			 199899 400,700 69.4 
			 199798 413,600 70.7 
			 199697 430,400 72.4 
			 199596 432,600 73.0 
			 199495 444,200 73.5 
			 199394 462,000 74.5 
		
	
	(35) Includes deliveries that were spontaneous vertex, spontaneous other, breech deliveries without instrument.
	These figures can also be found in table 3 of NHS Maternity Statistics, England: 200203, which can be found at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0410.htm. A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library.
	
		2. Caesarean deliveries, NHS hospitals, England, 199394 to 200203
		
			  Estimated numbers of caesarean deliveries Percentage of deliveries that were by caesarean 
		
		
			 200203 120,600 22.0 
			 200102 119,100 22.0 
			 200001 118,100 21.5 
			 19992000 116,200 20.6 
			 199899 110,300 19.1 
			 199798 106,500 18.2 
			 199697 101,100 17.0 
			 199596 96,600 16.3 
			 199495 93,700 15.5 
			 199394 93,000 15.0 
		
	
	
		3. Instrumental deliveries(36), NHS hospitals, England, 199394 to 200203
		
			  Estimated number of instrumental deliveries Percentage of deliveries that were instrumental 
		
		
			 200203 59,100 10.8 
			 200102 60,700 11.2 
			 200001 62,900 11.4 
			 19992000 65,900 11.7 
			 199899 66,500 11.5 
			 199798 64,400 11.0 
			 199697 64,200 10.8 
			 199596 64,000 10.8 
			 199495 66,500 11.0 
			 199394 65,700 10.6 
		
	
	(36) Includes deliveries by forceps and ventouse, breech deliveries with instrument and other methods of delivery.

Medical Instruments

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was spent on medical instruments for use in national health service hospitals in each year since 1994; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 19 May 2004
	Information is only held for the years 200001 onwards. This is shown in the table. The figures are based on instrument sales via the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency's national contracts and reflect the increasing use of disposable single use instruments. Some National Health Service trusts buy instruments from other sources so these figures do not cover total NHS spend on medical instruments.
	
		
		
			  Expenditure 
		
		
			 200001 500,000 
			 200102 6.1 million 
			 200203 27 million 
			 200304 33.3 million 
		
	
	Note:
	All figures include Value Added Tax

Medical Staff (Blackpool, South)

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) doctors and (b) nurses there were in Blackpool, South in each of the last seven years.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not gathered on a constituency basis. The tables show information based on national health service organisations serving the Blackpool, South area.
	
		The qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and practice nurses employed by unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs) 1 for Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority and by organisation -- As at 30 September
		
			   Nurses 
			   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 13,359 13,400 13,859 13,494 13,794 15,011 15,049 
			 
			 Of which  
			 4NC42 Blackpool PCG   63 52
			 5HP Blackpool PCT 64 284 307 
			 5HE Fylde PCT 28 142 155 
			 5HF Wyre PCT 45 224 223 
			  
			 QCY North West Lancashire HA 7 7 6 10 20   
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire StHA   1 
			  
			 RML Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services 845 865 871 868 910   
			 RMR Blackpool Victoria Hospital Trust 911 939 968 973 1,140   
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust  1,497 1,475 
			  
			 RJU Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 701 746 775 772 603   
			 RMF Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 1,272 1,234 1,264 1,256 1,330   
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust  1,915 1,928 
		
	
	(37) UPEs include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Notes:
	1. Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust was formed in 2002 following the merger of Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services and Blackpool Victoria Hospital Trust. Community elements of Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services formed Blackpool PCT (together with Blackpool PCG), Fylde PCT and Wyre PCT.
	2. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was formed in 2002 following the merger of Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS
	Trust.
	Sources:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	Department of Health Non-medical Workforce Census
	
		Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) Doctors(38) and general medical practitioners (excluding retainers) for Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority by organisation -- As at 30 September
		
			   All doctors(38) 
			   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire SHA 3,173 3,283 3,263 3,380 3,350 3,413 3,494 
			 
			 Of which
			 4NC42 Blackpool PCG (39) (39) 82 85 (39) (39) (39) 
			 5HP Blackpool PCT (39) (39) (39) (39) 84 96 101 
			 5HE Fylde PCT (39) (39) (39) (39) 40 38 43 
			 5HF Wyre PCT (39) (39) (39) (39) 69 72 73 
			  
			 QCY North West Lancashire HA 8 10 8 8 5 (39) (39) 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire StHA (39) (39) (39) (39) (39) 10 12 
			  
			 RML Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services 61 62 69 74 67 (39) (39) 
			 RMR Blackpool Victoria Hospital Trust 258 270 286 292 303 (39) (39) 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust (39) (39) (39) (39) (39) 335 341 
			  
			 RJU Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust 106 115 123 118 142 (39) (39) 
			 RMF Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 312 339 316 355 348 (39) (39) 
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (39) (39) (39) (39) (39) 484 482 
		
	
	(38) Excludes hospital medical, hospital practitioners and hospital medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part time in hospitals.
	(39) Not available
	Data as at 30 September every year except GP as at 1 October 199799
	Source
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census
	Department of Health Non-medical Workforce Census

Mental Health

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Education and Skills in relation to the provision of child and adolescent mental health services and the Children's National Service Framework.

Stephen Ladyman: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Children and I have joint responsibility for the children's national service framework (NSF). We meet on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest, such as work on the NSF.
	Departmental officials with responsibility for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) policy development meet regularly and work closely with policy colleagues within the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to oversee the whole CAMHS development programme. Officials of both Departments are also working closely on the development of the NSF. The DfES was represented on the external working group looking at CAMHS. We will be publishing the NSF later this year.

Mental Health

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office regarding the provision and attachment of specialist child and adolescent mental health services to (a) young offender institutions, (b) Connexions services and (c) youth offending teams; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has had no recent discussions with Home Office colleagues, nor in respect of Connexions services with colleagues in the Department for Education and Skills, on the matters raised in the question.
	The Department remains committed to meeting the needs of vulnerable young people within the youth justice system. There are clear indications that the prevalence of mental health needs among young people supervised by youth offending teams (YOTs) and in custody is significantly higher than that of the general population. Departmental officials continue to work with the Youth Justice Board (YJB) on child and adolescent mental health service input into YOTs. The Department, together with the Prison Service and YJB, have jointly appointed a programme manager for juvenile health and well being. Among the benefits we expect to see is a greater understanding of the nature and prevalence of mental health disorders, which in turn will lead to primary care trusts being better able to commission services to meet the identified need.
	Departmental officials are also members of the Department for Education and Skills Connexions services advisory group, where input from child and adolescent mental health services has been discussed.
	The children's national service framework is scheduled to be published later this year and will point the future direction of child and adolescent mental health services, including those for this particularly vulnerable group of young people.

Mental Health

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged between 18 and 25 years are currently being treated as in-patients in psychiatric hospitals in England and Wales; and what is the average length of stay in in-patient units of psychiatric hospitals for that age group.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the requested format.
	There were 2,863 unfinished episodes where the patient was aged between 18 and 25 years and under mental illness specialities at 31 March 2003.
	Mean and median lengths of stay of patients in this age group treated under mental illness specialities in 200203 were 114 and 20 days respectively.
	Notes:
	1. Figures have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 2. Length of stay is the time from when a patient is admitted to hospital until he or she is discharged. 3. Length of stay for an unfinished episode is the time from when a patient is admitted to Hospital until 31 March in the relevant year.
	Source:
	Hospital episode statistics, Department of Health.

Ministerial Visits

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case.

Rosie Winterton: No Ministers in the Department have travelled by helicopter during the last 10 years.

MRI Scans

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a measurement scale used by health authorities in comparing areas in respect of people waiting for MRI scans.

Melanie Johnson: The Government is committed to improving access to diagnostic services and the Department is working in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other stakeholders to secure a more responsive service. Each SHA is responsible for developing and implementing local improvement programmes for diagnostic services and to monitor progress against any locally agreed objectives.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the effectiveness and purpose of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's Interventional Procedure Advisory Committee and the guidance it produces.

Stephen Ladyman: The purpose of the interventional procedures programme is to determine whether procedures are safe enough and work well enough for use in the National Health Service. The guidance aims to protect the safety of patients and support clinicians, healthcare organisations and the NHS as a whole in the process of introducing new procedures.
	The interventional procedures programme has been producing guidance for only the past 11 months. No formal assessment of the programme has yet been made.

National Patients Safety Agency

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are employed by the National Patients Safety Agency.

John Hutton: holding answer 27 May 2004
	During 200304, the National Patient Safety Agency employed approximately 124 staff.

National Patients Safety Agency

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual budget of the National Patients Safety Agency (a) was in 200304 and (b) will be in 200405; and if he will provide a breakdown of the expenditure in 200304 by budget subhead.

John Hutton: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The annual budget of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) in 200304 was 17.25 million.
	The budget for 200405 is 14.666 million, plus an additional proportional contribution from the National Assembly for Wales.
	A breakdown of expenditure in 200304 are shown in the tables.
	
		
			 NPSA 200304 expenditure breakdown  thousand 
		
		
			 Non-executive members' remuneration 89 
			 Other salaries and wages 8,211 
			 Supplies and servicesgeneral 142 
			 Supplies and servicesclinical 11 
			 Establishment expenses 2,471 
			 Transport and moveable plant 33 
			 Premises and fixed plant 1,969 
			 External contractors 3,569 
			 Non cash items (capital charges) 102 
			 Auditor's remuneration: audit fees 34 
			 Services from other NHS bodies 463 
			 Other miscellaneous 77 
			 Gross revenue expenditure 17,170 
			 Income: operating income (323) 
			 Net revenue expenditure 16,847 
			 Capital expenditure 396 
		
	
	
		
			 NPSA 200304 budget  thousand 
		
		
			 Revenue resource limit 16,850 
			 Capital resource limit 400 
			 Total budget (resource limit) 17,250 
		
	
	Note:
	Budget includes a proportional contribution from the National Assembly for Wales.

NHS Consultants

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist full-time equivalent NHS consultants are employed to practise in each NHS acute trust, broken down by (a) specialty and (b) the number of resident population per consultant in England.

John Hutton: Information on the number of whole time equivalent (wte) national health service consultants employed to practice in each NHS acute trust, broken down by specialty has been placed in the Library.
	Population data by organisation is not available. Information on the number of wte consultants and population per consultant within each strategic health authority is shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, Public Health medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical and dental consultants within each strategic health authority and population per consultant 1 -- England at 30 September 2003Whole time equivalents
		
			  wte Population per consultant 1 
		
		
			 England 26,341 1,888.9 
			 of which   
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,220 1,796.0 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 572 2,811.7 
			 Essex 582 2,785.3 
			 North West London 1,215 1,469.2 
			 North Central London 1,214 1,001.3 
			 North East London 829 1,854.8 
			 South East London 1,181 1,281.7 
			 South West London 763 1,708.5 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 1,008 1,371.3 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 624 1,813.5 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern  Lincolnshire 651 2,498.4 
			 West Yorkshire 1,212 1,723.2 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 801 2,384.6 
			 Greater Manchester 1,544 1,628.0 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,360 1,725.2 
			 Thames Valley 1,028 2,041.7 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 830 2,157.2 
			 Kent and Medway 640 2,484.4 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,145 2,236.5 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,119 1,940.3 
			 South West Peninsula 784 2,029.8 
			 Dorset and Somerset 510 2,354.1 
			 South Yorkshire 855 1,481.5 
			 Trent 1,128 2,344.3 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 672 2,339.3 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 638 2,339.8 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 1,426 1,593.0 
			 West Midlands South 691 2,229.8 
			 Other 101 n/a 
		
	
	(40) Population per consultant for England calculated using population census 2001 Based Projections for 2003. Population per consultant by SHA calculated using population census 2001 Resident Estimates for 2002
	n/a=not applicable.
	Source:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

NHS Staff

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-medical staff in the NHS are employed at an annual salary in excess of 100,000 a year.

John Hutton: The Department does not hold this information centrally, but national health service bodies have been asked to include the information for the most senior managers in their annual accounts due for publication locally by 30 September.

NHS Surplus Land

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS surplus land in England is available for new housing, broken down by hospital.

John Hutton: Information is not available in the format requested. An agreement in principle has recently been reached to transfer a portfolio of sites currently in the ownership of Secretary of State for Health, and surplus to the needs of the National Health Service, to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). Details of the use to which particular sites may be put, including for new housing, will be a matter for ODPM to establish via the normal planning process.

Orthopaedics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the success rates of orthopaedic procedures undertaken in independent sector treatment centres compared to procedures undertaken in other settings.

John Hutton: All independent sector treatment centres are subject to review of their outcomes during the life of the contracts. Activity in these new centres has only recently commenced and therefore no data is as yet available. As part of the procurement process all providers were required to demonstrate their clinical capacity and ability to obtain suitable clinicians.

Orthotics

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken to train more people in orthotics.

John Hutton: The number of training places in prosthetics and orthotics has increased from 28 to 30 between 199697 and 200203 and commissioning for the allied health professions is reviewed annually.

Osteoporosis

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many osteoporosis specialist clinicians are employed in each strategic health authority.

John Hutton: Information on the number of osteoporosis specialist clinicians in each strategic health authority is not available centrally.

Osteoporosis

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) osteoporotic hip fractures, (b) osteoporotic vertebral fractures and (c) osteoporotic wrist fractures occurred on average in England in each of the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: Data is not collected centrally, as information is not available on the part of the body that is fractured.

Overseas Clinicians

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what vetting procedures are required for clinicians recruited from abroad on short-term contracts to work in independent sector treatment centres.

John Hutton: All registered clinicians working in independent sector treatment centres (IS-TCs) will have undergone the following stages of vetting.
	Providing companies will have exercised due diligence in their clinical appointment processes including determining qualifications and experience and suitability for the English healthcare environment. This will include English language testing.
	All overseas clinicians working in IS-TCs will have been assessed and registered by the national statutory regulatory authority: doctors by the General Medical Council (GMC), nurses by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and therapists by the Health Professions Council. In addition, overseas doctors involved in surgery will have gained admission to the specialist register of the CMC through a demonstration of their training equivalence with United Kingdom trained doctors.
	The providing company's insurance company will have carried out due diligence checks on each registered clinician before providing clinical malpractice insurance.
	The national health service sponsor of the IS-TC contract will have carried out due diligence on the registration of the clinician.
	The Healthcare Commission, in determining the statutory registration status of the IS-TC, will have carried out checks on all clinicians including checks of registration, occupational health checks and Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Paediatric Continence Services

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the Children's National Service Framework will reiterate the requirement for integrated paediatric continence services; and what action he will take following the publication of the Royal College of Nursing and Continence Foundation report, Is Policy Translated into Action;
	(2)  whether he requires integrated continence services at a local level to include provision for children.

Stephen Ladyman: It is not intended that the children's national service framework will set standards for the treatment of specific conditions, but rather will outline what support should be available to children and their parents in managing a whole range of problems. In doing so, it will emphasise the promotion of evidence-based clinical guidelines, such as Good Practice in Continence Services, within which the need to include children's service provision is identified. The publication of the Is Policy Translated into Action document provides a helpful overview of where and how services have improved, and also the scope for further improvement, which I expect service providers will wish to consider carefully.

Parliamentary Questions

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many (a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day Questions his Department received in (i) 200203 and (ii) this parliamentary session, broken down by month;
	(2)  what proportion of Ordinary Written Questions to his Department were answered within five sitting days of tabling, and what proportion of questions for written answer on a named day received a substantive answer on that day, in (a) the 200203 parliamentary session and (b) this parliamentary session, broken down by month.

Rosie Winterton: The available information is shown in the tables.
	
		1. Ordinary written questions received by the Department during the 200203 session, broken down by month, with their average answering times
		
			 Month Number received Average time taken to answer (working days) 
		
		
			 November 2002 438 9.9 
			 December 2002 557 13.9 
			 January 2003 628 9.3 
			 February 2003 822 9.6 
			 March 2003 617 8.6 
			 April 2003 566 11.9 
			 May 2003 637 11.6 
			 June 2003 744 8.4 
			 July 2003 (41)837 25.6 
			 August 2003   
			 September 2003 502 13.2 
			 October 2003 426 9.4 
			 November 2003 467 7.2 
			
			 All months 7,241 12.0 
		
	
	(41) Some 50 per cent. of these questions were tabled for answer in September.
	
		2. Named day questions received by the Department during the 200203 session, broken down by month, with their average answering times
		
			 Month Number received Average time taken to answer substantively (working days) 
		
		
			 November 2002 221 9.1 
			 December 2002 168 10.4 
			 January 2003 122 7.1 
			 February 2003 122 9.1 
			 March 2003 116 7.1 
			 April 2003 94 9.1 
			 May 2003 97 8.6 
			 June 2003 114 7.3 
			 July 2003 85 11.1 
			 August 2003   
			 September 2003 76 16.7 
			 October 2003 131 6.6 
			 November 2003 102 4.5 
			
			 All months(42) 1,448 8.8 
		
	
	(42) 68 per cent. of all questions were given a holding reply.
	
		3. Ordinary written questions received by the Department during the 200304 session, broken down by month, with their average answering times
		
			 Month Number received Average time taken to answer (working days) 
		
		
			 November 2003 174 10.9 
			 December 2003 527 12.5 
			 January 2004 511 8.4 
			 February 2004 597 10.4 
			 March 2004 796 9.7 
			 April 2004 584 7.5 
			
			 All months 3,189 9.7 
		
	
	
		4. Named day questions received by the Department during the 200304 session, broken down by month, with their average answering times
		
			 Month Number received Average time taken to answer substantively (working days) 
		
		
			 November 2003 22 10.9 
			 December 2003 130 9.1 
			 January 2004 116 6.9 
			 February 2004 110 9.2 
			 March 2004 138 9.8 
			 April 2004 63 6.6 
			
			 All months(43) 579 8.6 
		
	
	(43) 63 per cent. of all questions were given a holding reply.
	The Department endeavours to reply to all questions from hon. and right hon. Members in a timely, helpful and accurate manner.

Private Sector Treatment

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent paying the private sector to treat NHS patients in (a) England and (b) the area covered by Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust in (i) 200102, (ii) 200203 and (iii) 200304.

John Hutton: It is not possible to extrapolate the precise amount of money spent in the private sector for 200102, 200203, 200304 from the overall cost of the national health service buying services from non-NHS providers, including voluntary and charitable organisations and the independent sector.
	Data was not identified separately for 200102. For 200203, the reference cost collection was separately identified. Data for 200304 will not be available until October 2004.
	This will not equate to the total private sector costs because:
	Some organisations part-pay non-NHS providers for individual elements of a service.
	The data includes voluntary and charitable services purchased.
	The data only relates to services that are included in the current reference cost collection, that is, approximately 80 per cent. of acute services.
	Learning disabilities services, hospice care and residential and continuing care are outside the scope of the reference costs collection.

Prussian Blue

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stocks of Prussian blue are available to the Government; and what number of people this would allow to be treated in the event of leaks from radioactive material.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 May 2004
	Prussian blue is effective in the treatment of people exposed to caesium-137. It is also effective in treating poisoning with non-radioactive metals, such as thallium. In view of this, the Government have ensured that sufficient stocks of Prussian blue are available for use in the event of a release of caesium-137 or thallium. For security reasons, details of what stocks are held are not disclosed.

Public Bodies

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the Dental Practice Board in the last financial year for which figures are available; how many times the Board has met; and when it last met.

Rosie Winterton: The net cost of the Dental Practice Board (DPB) in the financial year 200304 was 23.8million. The cost is shared proportionally between the Department and the National Assembly for Wales as the DPB provides a dental payment and information service for England and Wales.
	The DPB board meets four times a year and last met on 21 April 2004.

Public Bodies

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) actual and (b) predicted funding of (i) community health councils, (ii) the Commission for Public Patient Involvement in Health, (iii) the Independent Complaint and Advocacy Service and (iv) patients' forums was in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the table. The data relating to the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) and patients' forums are shown as a single amount because the there is no separate budget for patients' forums and the CPPIH is responsible for allocating funds to them. The data relating to expenditure up to 200405 is actual spendfigures for 200405 are predicted spend.
	
		 million
		
			  Community health councils CPPIH and patients' forums Independent complaints advocacy services 
		
		
			 199798 22.561 n/a n/a 
			 199899 22.561 n/a n/a 
			 19992000 23 n/a n/a 
			 200001 23 n/a n/a 
			 200102 23 n/a n/a 
			 200203 23 3.27 n/a 
			 200304 15 30.192 4.4 
			 200405 n/a 33.3 6.8

Public Bodies

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times a year the Board of the Health Development Agency is scheduled to meet; and on what dates.

Melanie Johnson: The Board of the Health Development Agency meets six times per year alternately in London and in regional locations. The remaining dates for 2004 are 14 July in the north-west region, 7 October in London and 1 December in the south-east region.

Public Bodies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the relationship between the work of the National Biological Standards Board and the Health Protection Agency; and what plans he has to merge the two bodies.

Melanie Johnson: The National Biological Standards Board (NBSB) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) work closely together on areas of common interest and the Department has actively encouraged them to do so. The NBSB's executive body, the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, also acts as the official testing and release body for some of the HPA's vaccine products. We have no plans at present to merge these two bodies.
	Both bodies are part of the ongoing review of the Department's arms length bodies, which was the subject of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State's announcement on 20 May.

Public Bodies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the (a) Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee and (b) the Advisory Board on Registration of Homoeopathic Products last met.

Melanie Johnson: The administration of adioactive substances advisory committee last met on 21 January 2004.
	The advisory board on registration of homeopathic medicines last met on 23 March 2004.

Public Bodies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the Committees on (a) medical aspects of radiation in the environment, (b) the safety of devices, (c) the safety of medicines and (d) carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment are scheduled to convene; and on what date each last met.

Melanie Johnson: The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) currently meets four times a year. It last met on 18 March 2004.
	The Committee on the Safety of Devices was set up in April 2001 and meets up to three times a year. The last meeting was held on 20 November 2003.
	The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) meets twice a month and once in December. No meetings are held in August. The CSM last met on 5 May 2004.
	The Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC) meets three times a year. The COC last met on 1 April 2004.

Public Bodies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the Advisory Committees on (a) dangerous pathogens, (b) distinction awards, (c) hepatitis and (d) borderline substances are scheduled to convene; and on what date each last met.

Melanie Johnson: Meetings of the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens are convened quarterly; the last meeting was on 22 March 2004. The last meeting of the Advisory Committee on distinction awards was on 7 October 2003. It has since been succeeded by the Advisory Committee on Clinical Excellence Awards, which convenes annually. Meetings of the Advisory Committee on Hepatitis are convened two to three times per year; the last meeting was on 18 February 2004. Meetings of the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances are convened three times a year; the last meeting was on 23 March 2004.

Royal Liverpool Children's Litigation

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements the NHS Litigation Authority has made concerning the Royal Liverpool children's litigation; and how the implementation of these arrangements is being monitored.

Rosie Winterton: The National Health Service Litigation Authority agreed settlement terms for the Royal Liverpool children's litigation (RLCL) in a mediation, which took place in September 2002. Lump sum compensation of 5 million was made to a trust fund set up by the RLCL claimants. The payment was approved by the court.
	The Royal Liverpool NHS Trust has completed all but one of the terms of the settlement that were agreed with the claimants at the mediation. The parents were unable to reach a consensus on the type of memorial to be developed, and have therefore agreed among them that the 5,000 should be donated to five children's charities. This final action is being taken forward.
	A review meeting at the trust, attended by claimants, took place on 29 January 2004 to confirm implementation of the mediation agreement.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of sexually transmitted diseases were reported for those between 11 and 19 in each year since 2000 in the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Avon Strategic Health Authority, broken down by age.

Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friends the Members for Workington (Tony Cunningham) and Heywood and Middleton (Jim Dobbin) on 25 May 2004, Official Report, columns 161011W.

Skin Clinics

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he is doing to encourage the development of skin clinics in primary care comparable to those provided for asthma and diabetes.

John Hutton: Primary care trusts, in partnership with local stakeholders, have the responsibility for deciding what services to provide for their populations, including those with skin disease. They are best placed to understand local health needs and commission services to meet them.

Speech and Language Therapists

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out his proposals for future terms and conditions for speech and language therapists in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The terms and conditions of service for all staff covered by Agenda for Change, including speech and language therapists are set out in the proposed agreement published in March 2003, which is also available on the Department's website.
	The new system will deliver fair and equitable conditions of service across all groups covered by Agenda for Change by harmonising core conditions of service, such as hours and annual leave. In addition, speech and language therapists will have access to payments for working unsocial hours and overtime.

Speech and Language Therapists

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the numbers of speech and language therapists requiring pay protection from April 2005; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: We are currently testing the impact of the whole package of pay reform including the numbers of staff requiring protection, in 12 early implementer sites. The United Kingdom health departments and national health service unions and employer representatives are now reviewing the emerging evidence from the sites and the conclusions from this review are likely to be known in July. The agreed success criterion is that, overall no more than a small percentage of staff should require formal protection. The proposed agreement also includes provision to ensure that for any staff requiring protection, there will be a review during this period of protection, to explore whether the staff concerned could be reassigned to a higher weighted job or offered development and training to fit them for a higher weighted job.

Speech and Language Therapists

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposals for working hours for speech and language therapists; and how these will be reflected in earnings.

John Hutton: The proposed agreement aims to harmonise the disparate hours of the different staff groups by providing a standardised working week of 37.5 hours for all full-time national health service staff covered by Agenda for Change with phased protection arrangements for staff who currently work shorter hours for a period of up to eight years. Nationally speech and language therapists work unconditioned hours and may be working either above or below the proposed hours under the new arrangements.
	These arrangements support the underlying principles of Agenda for Change of ensuring a fair, transparent pay system, based on the important principle of equal pay for work of equal value with simplified consistent conditions of service fairly applied across all staff groups.

St. George's Hospital

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available for each specialist service at St. George's Hospital.

John Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on the number of beds broken down by ward classification is published and is available at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.

Staff Redundancies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff have been made redundant as a consequence of his Department's Change Programme.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 25 May 2004
	There have been 101 redundancies so far as the result of the change programme, and all these were voluntary.

Strategic Health Authorities

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether representatives of strategic health authorities are permitted to cast votes on special committees set up to make recommendations on health service matters to the same strategic health authorities which provided the representatives to the special committees; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 24 May 2004
	Yes. Paragraph 14(1) of the Health Authorities Membership and Procedure Regulations 1996 provides that
	Subject to such directions as may be given by the Secretary of State, an Authority may, and if directed by him, shall appoint committees of the Authority, or together with one or more other Authorities appoint joint committees consisting, in either case, wholly or partly of the chairman and members of the Authority or Authorities or wholly of persons who are not members of the Authority or Authorities in question.
	Decisions on voting prior to making any recommendations are a matter for the members of the committee.

Student Nurses

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the adequacy of clinical placements for student nurses.

John Hutton: The work force directorates of strategic health authorities (SHAs) commission nurse training places from higher education institutions (HEIs). They are jointly responsible for the adequacy of student placements they provide.
	The recent increase in the number of nurses in training has led to some pressure on clinical placements. Work is therefore under way to improve the range and quality of practice placements. SHAs and HEIs are actively engaged with local employers in expanding the opportunities available for students.

Sucraid

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on the prescription of sucraid in the treatment of congenital sucrase isomaltese deficiency;
	(2)  he will list the hospitals where sucraid has been prescribed in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has not issued guidelines on the prescription of sucraid. Data on prescriptions for sucraid in hospitals are not collected centrally.

Unique Identity Numbers

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when NHS patients will be assigned unique identity numbers for IT purposes.

John Hutton: All existing national health service patients have already been assigned a unique identifier. NHS patients are assigned unique identity numbers either at birth (for children born in the United Kingdom) or when they register for NHS services. The number is used to enable different NHS organisations involved with the delivery of care to share information reliably. It is used in NHS information technology systems for this purpose.

United Healthcare Group

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the savings to the NHS in the primary care trusts that have piloted the Evercare model of service provision;
	(2)  what evaluation has been made of the (a) costs and (b) benefits to the national health service of the Evercare pilot programmes provided by the United Healthcare Group.

John Hutton: The pilot schemes are being independently evaluated by the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre.

United Healthcare Group

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library (a) contracts or agreements that the national health service has entered into with the United Healthcare Group and (b) monitoring and evaluation reports in respect of these contracts or agreements;
	(2)  if he will list the agreements or contracts that have been entered into with the United Healthcare Group for providing consultancy, health care or other services to the national health service.

John Hutton: Ten primary care trusts (PCTs) have entered contracts with United Health Group for support in implementing the group's care model locally. The Department does not hold copies of those contracts. Nor does the Department hold lists of contracts placed by national health service bodies with particular companies. I have however placed in the Library UnitedHealth Group's interim report on implementation of its care model in the pilot PCTs.

United Healthcare Group

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contacts at official level there have been between his Department and United Healthcare Group since October 2003.

John Hutton: Departmental officials have met representatives of UnitedHealth Group within the steering group established to oversee the piloting by primary care trusts of the group's care model. UnitedHealth Group has also participated in events organised by the Department's Modernisation Agency to help support better management of chronic conditions.

United Healthcare Group

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department have left their posts in order to take up employment with the United Healthcare Group in the past two years.

John Hutton: No civil servants have left posts in the Department to take up employment with UnitedHealth Group in the past two years.

United Healthcare Group

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the National Health Service has paid to the United Healthcare Group in respect of (a) the Evercare pilot programmes and (b) other services provided by the United Healthcare Group.

John Hutton: 3.7 million was allocated by the Department in 200304 to primary care trusts (PCTs) towards the costs of their individual agreements with UnitedHealth Group. The actual costs of each contract are a matter for each PCT.

Waiting Lists/Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in how many cases patients waiting longer than six months for a NHS operation were removed from the list on the grounds that they are not fit, willing or able to attend for surgery in the latest year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Data on removals are published on the Department's website at www.performance.doh.gov. uk/waitingtimes.
	The data do not identify the length of wait of patients removed from the list.

Waiting Lists/Times

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were for a routine scan in each year since 1997; and what procedures are included in his definition of a routine scan.

Melanie Johnson: Data on waiting times for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is not collected centrally.
	The word 'routine' is describing the urgency with which the scan referral should be acted upon and this is affected by such things as the severity of the patients symptoms, the likely diagnosis and the speed at which treatment for that condition should be started to optimise the best chance of a good outcome.

Waiting Lists/Times

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times for the residents of Wirral, South in each of the last seven years.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Inpatient waiting lists by Commissioner for the Wirral Area (19962004)Waiting list in months
		
			  Wirral health authority Bebington and West Wirral PCT 
			  199697 199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Total 6,354 6,661 5,489 4,890 4,887 5,705 1,841 1,657 
			 0 to 2 not seen 3,634 4,047 3,466 2,677 3,014 3,294 1,061 1,165 
			 3 to 5 not seen 1,469 1,553 1101 1,066 1,072 1,282 428 381 
			 6 to 8 not seen 726 670 529 576 472 665 263 111 
			 9 to 11 not seen 412 337 291 311 201 394 89 0 
			 12 to 14 not seen 97 46 79 197 89 70 0 0 
			 15 to 17 not seen 15 8 23 63 39 0 0 0 
			 18 to 20 not seen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 21 to 23 not seen 1 0 0 0 0 0   
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health QF01
	
		Outpatient waiting lists by Commissioner for the Wirral Area (19972002)GP referral to consultant waiting list in weeks
		
			  Wirral health authority 
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Not seen 13 to 25 1,443 1,781 4,130 1,644 1,684 
			 Not seen 26 plus 654 1,351 3,261 2,464 1 
		
	
	
		Outpatient waiting lists by Commissioner for the Wirral Area (20022004)GP referral to consultant waiting list in weeks
		
			  Bebington and West Wirral PCT 
			  200203 200304 
		
		
			 Not seen 13 to 17 204 117 
			 Not seen 17 to 21 137 2 
			 Not seen 21 to 26 0 0 
			 Not seen 26+ 0 0 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health QM08R

Work-related Stress

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the NHS of (a) work-related stress and (b) accidents at work.

Melanie Johnson: It is not possible to estimate in either case on the basis of the available data.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Fines

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to link the level of fines to a convicted individual's income.

Paul Goggins: Fines are currently imposed on the basis of the seriousness of the offence and the offender's ability to pay. The Carter Review, Managing Offender, Reducing Crime, recommended the introduction of a 'day fines' system, which would offer a transparent link with the ability to pay. The Government is currently considering this proposal, which would require primary legislation.

UK Citizens (Marriage)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to record the English language proficiency of spouses who have been given entry clearance to come to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: I have been asked to reply.
	UKvisas do not record the English language proficiency of spouses as part of the visa application process. There is no policy or requirement in the UK Immigration Rules for spouse's proficiency in English to be recorded. The Home Office is responsible for the contents of the Immigration Rules, and have no plans to introduce language proficiency as a prerequisite of granting entry clearance to spouses.

Alcohol Reduction Strategy

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of a timetable for implementing the alcohol reduction strategy.

Hazel Blears: We have already begun to implement the Alcohol Harm Strategy for England. Home Office officials are working with officials at the Department of Health and others across Government to make sure that it is implemented on time.
	We will be measuring progress regularly against clearly defined indicators, and there will be an independent review early in the next Parliament to assess whether enough progress has been made on working with the industry to develop a voluntary social responsibility scheme.

Army Personnel

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many investigations have been conducted by the North Yorkshire police in each of the last five years into (a) deaths and (b) violent incidents (i) at army barracks and (ii) involving military personnel associated with Catterick Barracks; and how many of these resulted in papers being sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Hazel Blears: In the last five years, North Yorkshire Police, on behalf of Her Majesty's Coroner, have been involved in the investigation of eight separate sudden deaths of military personnel at Catterick Garrison. The deaths occurred in 1999 (two sudden deaths), 2000 (two sudden deaths), 2001 (one sudden death), 2002 (two sudden deaths) and 2003 (one sudden death). None of these investigations were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
	In the same period, North Yorkshire Police have been involved in dealing with three violent incidents at Catterick Garrison that involved military personnel, of which one resulted in papers being submitted to the CPS. The incidents took place in 2000, 2002 and 2003.
	To obtain the same information for the other army bases that are covered by North Yorkshire Police could be done only at a disproportionate cost.

Army Personnel

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average response time of the North Yorkshire Police has been to incidents at Catterick Barracks in the last three years; and what rules govern the relations of civilian and military investigators.

Hazel Blears: North Yorkshire Police advised that it would be improper to release figures for the Catterick Garrison area due to the sensitive nature of the garrison and potential terrorist threat. North Yorkshire Police, however, advised that they have an urban response time target of 15 minutes. For August 2002, their average urban response time was 9.4 minutes, for 200304 it was 16 minutes and for 2004 to date their average is 8.23 minutes. Their rural response target is 20 minutes and for the respective periods the average response times are 15.25 minutes, 15.5 minutes and 13.53 minutes.
	The position under legislation is that both the civilian and military police in England and Wales are governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and its Codes of Practice. Section 113 of the Act provides that:
	. . . any provision of the Act which relates to investigations of offences conducted by police officers or to persons detained by the police shall apply, subject to such modifications as [the Secretary of State] may specify, to investigations of offences conducted under the Army Act 1957 . . .
	The rules which govern the relations of civilian and military investigators, are set out in:
	Protocol between the Ministry of Defence police and Home Office police forces, Home Office Circular 17/1999
	Army Land Standing Order 3203
	Defence Council Instruction document of April 2003: The Reporting and Investigation of Criminal and other Disciplinary Offences in the Ministry Of Defence, Armed Forces and Defence estate in the UK
	The Defence Policing Protocol, which outlines the protocol between the defence police forces.

Army Personnel

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the legal basis is of Association of Chief Police Officers guidelines on the investigation of deaths on Army property; and if he will place a copy of the guidelines in the Library.

Hazel Blears: At present, there are no Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines on the investigation of deaths on military property. An ACPO working party to look into deaths on military establishments has, however, been established.
	ACPO guidelines have no statutory basis; they are guidelines for the Police Service.

Army Personnel

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances military authorities in the United Kingdom may deny police officers acting in performance of their duties access to Army premises.

Hazel Blears: There are no circumstances where military authorities may deny police officers who are acting in performance of their duty access to Army premises. If a police officer knows or has good reason to believe that a serious crime is being committed on army premises, he or she is entitled under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 to enter such premises with or without a warrant. The Military Police, who provide law enforcement on army premises, have a good working relationship with the civilian police. The Military Police would investigate and deal with any of the less serious infringements of the law occurring on army bases, but would expect the civilian police to deal with any serious crime committed there.

Arson

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many convictions there were in each of the last three years for arson; and how many of these convictions were of repeat offenders;
	(2)  what the average sentence for arson was in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 10 May 2004
	1,500 people were found guilty of arson in England and Wales in 2001 and 1,493 in 2002.
	Of those found guilty of arson in 2001, 15 per cent. had a previous conviction for arson, the equivalent figure for 2002 was 10 per cent. 1
	The average custodial sentence length imposed for arson in 2001 was 28.5 months and in 2002, 27.9 months.
	Statistics for 2003 will be published in the Autumn.
	1 Sentencing samples are based on four weeks of data, one week for each quarter of the year.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what issues the Criminal Cases Review Commission scrutinises during the case review process.

Paul Goggins: It is the Commission's usual practice to obtain the summing up in cases involving a review of conviction, where this is available, and to review the terms in which the judge has directed the jury on all matters of law, including the burden and standard of proof.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last two years documents necessary for the review of a case have been destroyed between application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission and review.

Paul Goggins: The Commission does not have precise data on this question and the resources to acquire it would be disproportionate.
	However, the Commission has established procedures which ensure that all necessary material is preserved at the earliest point in the case review process. This is particularly relevant for older convictions where established policies in public bodies may indicate early destruction.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether retractions in interviews regarding sex abuse case reviews are always documented in the Statement of Reasons by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Paul Goggins: The Commission's guidance is that where retractions are reported, the consideration given to them should be set out in the Statement of Reasons.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Criminal Cases Review Commission ensures that all case review managers working on sex abuse cases are aware of all the relevant publications and materials available in the Commission.

Paul Goggins: The Commission operates a system of regular briefings for all staff and a recent extended briefing was devoted to this topic. Having Commission members serving as decision makers and one as an assigned Commission member in each case review ensures that relevant material is considered. The Commission maintains a library of material available to all staff and its IT system enables the interrogation of all Commission material from the desktop.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Case Review Managers working on sex abuse cases are given a checklist of issues which may assist in their review.

Paul Goggins: Following an internal review, the Commission recommended that a checklist of factors and investigatory techniques should be to assist those who review sexual abuse cases. This has been addressed and a supporting document is being developed.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Criminal Cases Review Commission will seek reports from psychologists to identify research, good practice and guidance on the application of scientific methodology to the investigation of contemporary and historical allegations of sex abuse.

Paul Goggins: The Commission has received such a report and has no plans at present to seek further reports.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions visiting speakers have addressed the Criminal Cases Review Commission on awareness of the issues and investigative techniques in sexual abuse cases over the last two years.

Paul Goggins: Visiting speakers have addressed the Commission on six occasions in the last 12 months on a variety of topics. Many of these have touched directly or indirectly on the issues surrounding sexual abuse cases.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Criminal Cases Review Commission's use of exceptional circumstances to allow referrals where a previous appeal has not been heard.

Paul Goggins: Where there has been no appeal, the Commission will consider whether exceptional circumstances apply. The Commission has referred cases where exceptional circumstances have applied, the most usual example being where one co-defendant has appealed and another has not.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be made regarding the extension of the Criminal Cases Review Commission's section 17 powers.

Paul Goggins: We are considering a number of proposals from the Criminal Cases Review Commission, including one which would require an extension of the Commission's powers under section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. The subject matter of this proposal is the disclosure of material by third parties for the purpose of criminal cases, and as such it is related to Lord Justice Auld's recommendation (206) which urges consideration of a new statutory third party disclosure scheme. We therefore intend to deal with the two matters together. These are complex issues and I am unable at this time to indicate when we will have completed our deliberations.

Case Review Process

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work and findings of the Criminal Cases Review Commission's collaboration with the Historical Abuse Appeal Panel.

Paul Goggins: The Criminal Cases Review Commission is in regular dialogue with the Historical Abuse Appeal Panel. Such liaison and exchange of information as will assist the Commission in its work will continue.

CCTV

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much public funding has been spent on CCTV security cameras in (a) Haltemprice and Howden and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in the last five years.

Hazel Blears: In the last five years, the Home Office has provided 381,558 to the East Riding of Yorkshire (which includes the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden) for CCTV schemes.
	Allocation of that funding is a matter for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Humberside Constabulary. The information is not held centrally.

Compensation Scheme (Remand Prisoners)

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the compensation scheme for people remanded in custody and subsequently found not guilty which operates in New Zealand.

Paul Goggins: I have no plans to make an assessment of the scheme operating in New Zealand for compensating those remanded in custody and subsequently found not guilty.
	The current schemes for compensating those wrongfully convicted or charged in England and Wales are provided for in Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and under the ex-gratia arrangements announced in the then Home Secretary's statement of 29 November 1985. The latter specifically provides compensation for those acquitted after having been held in custody on remand following a charge that has subsequently been found to be wrongfully brought.

Computer Misuse

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under the Misuse of Computers Act 1990 were (a) initiated and (b) discontinued in each region in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The requested information is contained in the table.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and those where the proceedings were discontinued etc. for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 1, by region, England and Wales 1993 to 2002
		
			  Section 1 2 Section 2 2 Section 3 2 
			 Year/region Proceeded against Discontinued 3 Proceeded against Discontinued 3 Proceeded against Discontinued  3 
		
		
			 1993   
			 North East n/a n/a 
			 North West n/a n/a 1 1 1  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a   2  
			 East Midlands n/a n/a   1  
			 West Midlands n/a n/a 
			 East n/a n/a 
			 London n/a n/a 
			 South East n/a n/a   1  
			 South West n/a n/a   2 2 
			 Wales n/a n/a 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a 1 1 7 2 
			
			 1994   
			 North East n/a n/a 
			 North West n/a n/a   1  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a 
			 East n/a n/a 
			 London n/a n/a   1 1 
			 South East n/a n/a 
			 South West n/a n/a   1  
			 Wales n/a n/a 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a   3 1 
			 1995   
			 North East n/a n/a 
			 North West n/a n/a 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a   1  
			 East n/a n/a 
			 London n/a n/a   2  
			 South East n/a n/a   2  
			 South West n/a n/a 
			 Wales n/a n/a 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a   5  
			
			 1996   
			 North East n/a n/a 
			 North West n/a n/a 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a   1 1 
			 East n/a n/a 1 1   
			 London n/a n/a 1
			 South East n/a n/a   1  
			 South West n/a n/a 
			 Wales n/a n/a 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a 2 1 2 1 
			
			 1997   
			 North East n/a n/a 
			 North West n/a n/a   1  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a 
			 East n/a n/a   1  
			 London n/a n/a   5  
			 South East n/a n/a 
			 South West n/a n/a 
			 Wales n/a n/a 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a   7  
			
			 1998   
			 North East   
			 North West 1  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1  
			 East Midlands 1  
			 West Midlands   3  1 1 
			 East 1 1 
			 London 1  
			 South East 3 2 
			 South West 1  
			 Wales   3
			 England and Wales 6 3 6  4 1 
			
			 1999   
			 North East   
			 North West   1  1 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside   
			 East Midlands 1 1   1  
			 West Midlands 1  
			 East   
			 London   
			 South East 3 2   2  
			 South West   
			 Wales 1 1 2
			 England and Wales 6 4 3  4 1 
			
			 2000   
			 North East 1  
			 North West 1  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 2  
			 East Midlands 1  
			 West Midlands 11 1 
			 East   1  1 1 
			 London 2  2 1 2  
			 South East 1  
			 South West 1  
			 Wales 1 1   1 1 
			 England and Wales 8 1 3 1 8 3 
			
			 2001   
			 North East   
			 North West 3  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 7  
			 East Midlands 1  
			 West Midlands 1  1
			 East 1  
			 London 1  2  1  
			 South East 1  1 1   
			 South West 1  
			 Wales 4 1 
			 England and Wales 9 1 4 1 12  
			
			 2002   
			 North East   
			 North West   1  1 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside   
			 East Midlands 2 2 1 1 1  
			 West Midlands   1  1 1 
			 East   
			 London 4  
			 South East   1  1  
			 South West 2  2
			 Wales   
			 England and Wales 4 2 6 1 8 2 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(44) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(45) Sections of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 are as follows:
	Section 1Unauthorised access to computer material
	Section 2Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences
	Section 3Unauthorised modification of computer material
	(46) Also includes cases where no evidence was offered or charges withdrawn, and cases discharged under Section 6 MCA 1980.

Corporate Manslaughter

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the draft Bill on corporate manslaughter; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in its publication.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 17 May 2004
	The Government remain firmly committed to reforming the law on corporate manslaughter. This involves complex questions that need to be resolved before we can publish proposals.
	Our aim is to publish a draft Bill before the end of the current session.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for West Worcestershire will receive a response to his letter of 2 March, reference PO3414/4.

Des Browne: holding answer 20 May 2004
	My hon. Friend the Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) wrote to the hon. Member on 27 May.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter to him from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 14 April with regard to Muhammad Rafique.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 27 May 2004.

Correspondence

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North will receive a reply to his letter dated 17 February 2004 concerning Mrs. Daod Armouh.

Des Browne: I replied to my hon. Friend on 27 May 2004.

Crime (Public Transport)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions have followed from crimes committed on buses in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many convictions resulted from crimes committed on London Underground in each year since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The information collected centrally on arrests and court proceedings does not identify the location of where an offence took place, as the circumstances of individual offences are not collected.

Detention Centres

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) male and (b) female young offenders were held in detention centres in England and Wales on 1 May 2004.

Paul Goggins: The number of sentenced young people in Prison Service establishments, secure training centres and local authority secure children's homes at the 31 March 2004 is given in the table.
	
		Sentenced young people at 31st March 2004
		
			  Prison Service establishments Secure training centres Local authority secure children's homes 
		
		
			 Males
			 Under 18 1,827 94 185 
			 1820(47) 6,270 0 0 
			 
			 Females
			 Under 18 39 50 41 
			 1820(47) 334 0 0 
		
	
	(47) Includes 21-year-olds who were aged 20 or under at conviction who have not been reclassified as part of the adult population.

Evidence Production

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department issues to the police to ensure that evidence is provided to the prosecution in time for trial.

Paul Goggins: The Home Office publishes the Manual of Guidance for the preparation, processing and submission of prosecution files. The manual is updated on a continual basis by the Manual of Guidance Editorial Board, comprising members of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service, (CPS) Home Office, the Cabinet Office and operational members of the prosecution team. The manual mandates how prosecution files are to be prepared and provided from the police to the CPS and takes into account at each revision any changes to legislation, policy or operational procedures.
	The manual does not stipulate mandatory time scales within which the police must provide evidence to the prosecution, although the quality and timeliness of prosecution files is inherent to the processes outlined in the guidance.

Firearms

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the number of authorised firearms officers available to police services in England and Wales.

Caroline Flint: The latest published statistics, which relate to 200203, show that there were 5,763 authorised firearms officers.

Forensic Computing Skills

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the availability of forensic computing skills in law enforcement.

Hazel Blears: Each police force in England and Wales has a minimum of one data recovery officer and one network investigating officer. In addition the National Hi-Tech Centre have their own data recovery unit, with approximately 56 officers. The National Technical Assistance Centre (NTAC) provide specialist technical support to the UK law enforcement community in respect of encrypted data.
	Her Majesty's Customs and Excise maintain two units, one for investigations and the Computer Audit Unit for VAT investigations.
	A number of other agencies including, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Defence, Royal Mail PID, Royal Air Force, British Transport Police, the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and Trading Standards have their own capabilities.

ICT

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his budget is for staff training in information and communication technology in this financial year.

David Blunkett: The Home Office and its agencies (excluding non-departmental public bodies) have a total budget of 3,173,608 for staff training in information and communication technology in the financial year for 200405. This figure excludes the Prison Service as they have no IT specific budget allocated for training.

IT Equipment

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often his Department and its agencies undergo portable appliance testing of IT equipment; and what the cost was in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 26 May 2004
	Under the IT 2000 Services Agreement the core-Home Office obtains a full range of IT services from Fujitsu Alcedo Ltd (operating as 'Sirius'). Similarly, each of the Department's agencies have an agreement with their IT service providers. Under the terms of these Agreements, all of the IT equipment used to provide these services to the Home Office and its agencies is supported and maintained by the various IT service suppliers.
	As an example, the IT 2000 Agreement obliges Sirius to advise the Home Office on the frequency of electrical safety testing of portable IT equipment. Sirius's advice is that visual inspection at the time of first installation, reassessment via visual inspection at three year intervals and combined inspection and test (i.e. PAT testing) at five year intervals provides the appropriate assurance. However, Sirius are committed to a programme of Technology Refresh leading to the replacement of their equipment before it is five years old. On this basis, formal PAT testing of Sirius's equipment is not required and no formal programme of PAT testing for IT equipment has been conducted since the IT 2000 Agreement was signed.
	Any equipment not covered by the various IT Agreements is tested under the agreements held with the various Facility Management (FM) companies responsible for the maintenance of each of the buildings concerned. However, the FM companies are responsible for all electrical equipment not covered by the IT Service Agreements and so it is impossible to separate the IT equipment from the general office equipment.
	Additionally and in conjunction with the initiative to relocate the Home Office's London headquarters to 2 Marsham Street, items of IT equipment that are outside the scope of the IT 2000 Agreement are currently being identified so that they can be moved, or disposed of, appropriately. The Home Office will take this opportunity to ensure that the inspection and testing of these items is suitably up to date.

Juvenile Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training in (a) child protection and (b) child development is given to governors of juvenile prisons; and which governors of juvenile prisons have qualifications in childcare.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 11 May 2004
	Appropriate Child protection training has been developed specifically for staff working with juveniles. A child protection 'train the trainer' course was rolled out across the juvenile estate in 2002, and since then all staff have had access to child protection training.
	More recently, the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board have worked together to develop and deliver appropriate training for all staff working with juveniles. The new Juvenile Awareness Staff Programme (JASP) will be mandatory for new staff, and will be made available to existing staff as part of a rolling three year programme. JASP includes child protection training as well as training in the nature of adolescence.
	Data on qualifications held by Governors is not collected centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Juvenile Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a separate system for transporting juvenile prisoners will be established.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 11 May 2004
	Escort services are provided by private companies under contract to the Youth Justice Board (for those sent to secure training centres or local authority secure children's homes (LASCHs)) and the Prison Service (for those sent to Young Offender Institutions).
	The secure training centre/LASCH escort service is exclusively for juveniles and is managed by Group 4 (Rebound) Security Services.
	New transport arrangements for journeys to and from young offender institutions will come into effect with new Prison Escort Custody Service (PECS) contracts on 29 August 2004. Where cellular vehicles are used, juveniles will not be carried in the same vehicle as adult prisoners.

Juvenile Prisoners

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of self-injury and attempted suicide by juveniles have occurred in the segregation unit at Stoke Heath.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 11 May 2004
	There were seven reported incidents of self-harm in the Segregation Unit at Stoke Heath young offender institution involving juveniles during 2003, and one so far reported in 2004.
	A new form for reporting self-harm was introduced across the prison estate in December 2002. This has improved the consistency with which self-harm incidents are reported and, by broadening the range of questions that are asked, improved the detail and quality of the information collected. Prior to 2003, data on the location in the prison where the self-harm incident occurred were not collated centrally.
	Suicidal intent is not easy to establish. The reasons why people self-injure are highly complex, and it is often difficult to distinguish between acts of self-harm that were attempts at ending life, and those which occurred for other reasons. It is not possible, therefore, for the Prison Service to extrapolate from the data recording incidents of self-harm those acts that may have been attempts at suicide.
	A number of intervention strategies have been introduced into prisons, young offender and juvenile establishments for people who self-harm. These include counselling, support groups, and specialised psychological interventions. While evaluation of these interventions is, at present, very limited, evidence from research in non-prison settings suggests that male and female adolescents who self-harm repeatedly may benefit from group therapy. A network of establishments has been set up to develop interventions, facilitate evaluation and share good practice. Guidance to staff on managing people who self-harm has also been circulated to establishments.

Akezhan Kazhegeldin

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Mr. Akezhan Kazhegeldin, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, receives any protection from the British Government.

David Blunkett: It has been the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on such matters of security, including the identity of who may or may not receive protection in the United Kingdom.

National Offender Management Scheme

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether representatives from the voluntary sector have been asked to join the National Offender Management Service Advisory Board.

Paul Goggins: We are currently looking to identify a representative from the voluntary sector to join the National Offender Management Board.

National Offender Management Scheme

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are being made for Pathfinder Projects under the National Offender Management Service structure; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Discussions with a number of regions are under way. Final decisions have yet to be taken.

National Offender Management Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role there will be for local probation boards in the event of the creation of a National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: We are proposing to replace the existing probation boards with 10 regional management boards, in line with the nine English regions and Wales. They will have responsibility for commissioning offender management and employing offender management staff. The proposed structure is outlined in the document, National Offender Management ServiceOrganisational Design, copies of which are available in the House Library.

National Offender Management Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what processes he will put in place to continue to allow the Probation Service to have an active relationship with victims of crime in the event of the service's inclusion within the National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service will have a key role to play in providing services to victims. We will ensure that the work currently undertaken by Probation Officers in this area is maintained.

National Offender Management Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the decision to advertise the jobs of (a) National Offender Manager and (b) 10 regional offender managers (England and Wales) in advance of agreement to set up the National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: The Government are committed to the creation of the National Offender Management Service and it is crucial that key staff are recruited in order to establish the service.

National Offender Management Scheme

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Gateway Zero report will be published for the National Offender Management Service.

Paul Goggins: The Gateway Zero for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) programme is taking place from 15 to 21 July. The final report will be sent to the Chief Executive of NOMS once it is completed. In keeping with normal practice it is not intended to publish the report.

National Offender Management Scheme

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with (a) probation officers and (b) their representatives regarding the provision of their pensions under the National Offender Management Service; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: No discussions have taken place so far with probation officers or their representatives regarding the specific issue of the provision of their pensions. We are committed to on-going consultation with staff and unions on the full range of issues connected with the implementation of the National Offender Management Service.

National Offender Management Scheme

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many consultants have been employed by the National Offender Management Service Change Team.

Paul Goggins: Three individuals from consultancy firms, with specialist experience in change management, have been employed within the implementation team for a nine-month period to assist in initiating the change programme.

Overturned Convictions

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of miscarriages of justice at each level of the criminal justice system in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The Home Secretary's powers to consider alleged miscarriages of justice came to an end on 31 March 1997, and were replaced by new powers vested in an independent body called the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
	In its first seven years, the Commission received 6,647 applications for case review and referred 226 of these to the relevant court of appeal. Of the appeals resulting from these referrals that the courts have determined, some two-thirds have resulted in the conviction being quashed.
	Figures available from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) show that 290 convictions were overturned in 1998, 171 in 1999, 150 in 2000, 136 in 2001 and 166 in 2002. These would have included cases referred by the Commission, in addition to normal in-time appeals and those where the court granted leave for an out-of-time appeal.

Overturned Convictions

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to review case files following a referral to the courts by the Criminal Case Review Commission; and what mechanisms are in place (a) to address case-particular errors and (b) to identify general improvements that may reduce the risk of further miscarriages of justice.

Paul Goggins: Once closed by the Commission, the files for both referral and non-referral cases are retained for five years at which point the Commission reviews the files for record keeping purposes. It is possible for an applicant whose referral is unsuccessful or whose case is not referred by the Commission to reapply at any time.
	It is an objective of the Commission to analyse the causes of miscarriages of justice and to suggest ways in which the criminal justice system might be improved to reduce their incidence. It is still too early for the Commission to do so authoritatively. The Commission has only referred 226 cases (as at March 2004) and about a fifth of these have yet to been determined. The difficulty in drawing sound conclusions relevant to today's criminal justice system is that these cases concern a wide spectrum of offences and convictions spread over half a century.
	However when the Commission's database contains a greater number of recent cases, it should be possible to analyse comprehensively the legal and investigative issues that still commonly arise in miscarriages of justice. The Commission should then be able to formulate sound advice to other stakeholders and agencies within the criminal justice system on actions and legislation that could help to minimise their incidence.
	While section 23 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 precludes the Commission from disclosing any case information obtained in the exercise of its functions the Commission does liaise with other agencies and individuals in the criminal justice system. This includes discussion of issues raised in cases reviewed by the Commission.

Parenting Orders and Curfews

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) parenting orders and (b) curfews have been issued in each local authority, broken down by region and listed in descending order.

Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board has collected figures on Parenting Orders and Curfew Orders since April 2000. The data, covering parenting orders of all kinds including orders made in relation to school attendance, is collected by Youth Offending Teams and is not available by local authority area. Table A provides details of the 4,461 Parenting Orders made by region and Youth Offending Team area, in descending order, from April 2000 to March 2004. Table B provides details of the 5,475 Curfew Orders made in respect of young offenders presented in the same way over the same period. Both tables will be placed in the Library. The data between January and March 2004 is provisional and subject to validation.

Prison/Probation Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed by (a) the Prison Service at Head Office and (b) the National Probation Directorate; and how many at each are (i) consultants and (ii) contractual staff.

Paul Goggins: At the beginning of November 2003 there were 2,403 (full time equivalent) staff employed at Her Majesty's Prison Service Headquarters (including operational Area Offices). Of these, 1,330 were employed in central London offices. Central records are not held which specifically identify the number of consultants. However, information supplied by Headquarters Groups identifies a total of 122 agency staff and consultants working at Prison Service Headquarters at the beginning of November.
	In December 2003, the National Probation Directorate employed 445 staff, of which 39 were consultants and 26 were contractors.

Prison/Probation Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Prison Service's alcohol strategy.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service is in the final stages of development of a comprehensive alcohol strategy, which will be published shortly.

Prison/Probation Services

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Youth Justice Board definition is of purposeful activity for juvenile prisoners.

Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board (YJB) now categorises activity by reference to its National Specification for Learning and Skills. The National Specification sets out the expectations of the Board for the delivery of learning and skills to young people held in young offender institutions on Detention and Training Orders. The overall aim is that young offenders should spend 30 hours a week in formal educational classes; 12 on enrichment activities, including access to arts learning and arts experiences, environmental studies and sport; and have seven hours private study time.
	The YJB and the Prison Service now have a Service Level Agreement that measures education, training and personal development activity for young people in the juvenile secure estate and sets out agreed performance targets.

Prison/Probation Services

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the new prisons being built in England and Wales; and what category of prisoner each will accommodate.

Paul Goggins: Two prisons are under construction in England and Wales through the Private Finance Initiative. Bronzefield, at Ashford, Middlesex, is a 450 place prison which will accommodate female offenders and is on schedule to open in June 2004. The second prison, sited at Peterborough, comprises 480 places for male offenders and 360 for female offenders and is scheduled to open in March 2005.
	Both prisons are being procured to Category B security standards. Bronzefield will have provision for up to five Category A female prisoners and both prisons will have a 12 place Mother and Baby Unit.

Probation Hostels

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to set up and operate probation hostels in England and Wales which will be exclusively used for convicted sex offenders.

Paul Goggins: There are currently no plans for any probation hostel in England and Wales to be used exclusively by convicted sex offenders.

Probation Hostels

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the sex offender treatment programme is available in probation hostels in England and Wales; and what assessment has been made of its effectiveness.

Paul Goggins: Residents of probation hostels (approved premises) have access to the accredited sex offender treatment programme run by the local Probation Area. Treatment takes place off-site, usually in local probation offices, not in the Probation hostel.
	The community based programmes are currently subject to an evaluation study conducted by the Universities of Liverpool and Leicester. It is too early for reconviction studies to be completed.

Probation Hostels

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to construct and open new probation hostels in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Currently there are plans to open five new approved premises in England and Wales. These will be operated under the Prospects programme. They will provide high quality support from custody to the community for non-violent offenders with a history of drug dependency. The programme represents an innovative way of working within the local community to reduce crime.

Probation Service

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has regarding the training programme for probation officers after (a) 2006 and (b) 2008.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The current two-year Diploma in Probation Studies programme is well established and was the subject of a very positive inspection report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation in 2003.
	In 2003, the degree element of the programme was re-tendered and contracts were let with higher education providers for a period of three years, with the potential for an extension to 2008. Plans for capacity building in preparation for the implementation of the Criminal Justice Act include an intake of trainee probation officers in 2005. The size of the cohort has not yet been agreed. This cohort will graduate in 2007.
	Going beyond 2006, responsibility for training will lie within the new National Offender Management Service. Development work on this has yet to commence. Making sure that the Service has well-trained officers and staff will be one of the key priorities in our strategy to reduce re-offending.

Probation Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how individual probation services will be held to account so that they reduce re-offending.

Paul Goggins: Regional Offender Managers will be responsible for ensuring the effective management of all offenders regardless of whether they have received a custodial or community sentence or a combination of the two. The Regional Offender Managers will be line managed by the National Offender Manager who will report directly to the Chief Executive and will ultimately be responsible for reducing re-offending.

Productivity

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to (a) increase the productivity and (b) cut the costs of his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 148W.

Prolific Offenders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to target the most prolific offenders.

Paul Goggins: On 30 March 2004, the Prime Minister announced the development of a new strategy to target the most prolific offenders in our communities. Building on the success of the many prolific offenders schemes which have already been developed, local areas will be asked to focus on those individuals who, in their judgement, pose the greatest threat to the safety and confidence of their local communities.

Public Order

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how Chief Officers of police forces are held to account in relation to their force's actions concerning animal rights protesters' crimes.

Caroline Flint: Chief Officers are responsible for the day to day operational management of their force. Police authorities through their statutory duty maintain an efficient and effective police force for their area. I am in regular contact with Senior Police Officers to discuss the action the police are taking to deal with animal rights related crime.

Public Order

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces are subject to key performance targets in relation to crimes committed by animal rights protesters.

Caroline Flint: There are no key performance targets in relation to crimes committed by animal rights protesters.

Public Order

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether central Home Office records are maintained of individuals who are convicted of crimes associated with animal rights protests.

Caroline Flint: No central Home Office records are maintained of individuals who are convicted of crimes associated with animal rights protests.

Public Order

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many areas have been made a designated public place for the purpose of curfew orders in each year since 2001 in (a) England and Wales and (b) in each county.

Paul Goggins: The reference to designated public places for the purpose of curfew order since 2001 is taken to refer to local child curfew schemes, which were revised during that year. There have been no such designations for the purpose of a local child curfew scheme. The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 contains powers for the dispersal of groups and removal of persons under 16 to their homes. These powers were implemented in January 2004 and reports indicate they have already been used. Statistics are not yet available from the police on the use of these new powers but will be available later in the year.

Public Order

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many curfew orders have been breached in each year since 1998; and how many of these breached curfew orders were punished by (a) fines and (b) prison sentences;
	(2)  how many curfew orders have been issued since 1998 in (a) England and Wales and (b) each county.

Paul Goggins: The information requested relating to England and Wales for the years 1998 to 2002 is contained in the table.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
	
		Number of persons of all ages sentenced to a curfew order at all courts for all offences, by police force area, and those persons dealt with for breaching such orders England and Wales 1998 to 2002 1
		
			  Sentenced to a curfew order 
			 Police force area 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset   54 181 487 
			 Bedfordshire   12 15 26 
			 Cambridgeshire 10 58 75 65 79 
			 Cheshire  1 10 16 45 
			 Cleveland   4 31 69 
			 Cumbria  1 10 15 22 
			 Derbyshire   28 97 136 
			 Devon and Cornwall  4 52 78 113 
			 Dorset   13 63 106 
			 Durham  1 29 26 55 
			 Essex   10 16 51 
			 Gloucestershire   6 4 14 
			 Greater Manchester 539 776 638 714 896 
			 Hampshire  7 106 203 290 
			 Hertfordshire   18 54 114 
			 Humberside  5 19 27 34 
			 Kent 1 1 19 69 122 
			 Lancashire  1 58 61 195 
			 Leicestershire  1 65 119 214 
			 Lincolnshire   4 8 7 
			 London, City of   2 2 1 
			 Merseyside   4 39 61 
			 Metropolitan Police 50 63 151 284 589 
			 Norfolk 272 340 312 320 308 
			 Northamptonshire 3 
			 Northumbria  1 42 100 146 
			 North Yorkshire   4 11 28 
			 Nottinghamshire   9 28 96 
			 South Yorkshire  3 129 131 218 
			 Staffordshire  1 16 59 76 
			 Suffolk 34 69 88 79 84 
			 Surrey  1 7 21 19 
			 Sussex  2 35 90 148 
			 Thames Valley 41 58 83 155 186 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 9 12 19 
			 West Mercia  2 25 65 82 
			 West Midlands  2 44 68 220 
			 West Yorkshire 31 168 303 338 557 
			 Wiltshire  1 18 24 17 
			 Dyfed Powys   10 38 35 
			 Gwent 13 
			 North Wales  1 33 69 118 
			 South Wales  8 43 68 167 
			 Total England and Wales 979 1,577 2,597 3,863 6,266 
			   
			 Persons dealt with for  breaching curfew orders 204 280 473 761 960 
			 of whom:  
			 Number fined 88 121 215 345 354 
			 Number sentenced to  immediate custody 64 83 116 185 240 
		
	
	(48) These data are on the principal offence basis

Public Order

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make animal rights-related crimes a priority item in the next National Policing Plan.

Caroline Flint: No decisions have been made on the contents of the National Policing Plan for 200508.

Secure Units

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he collects on re-offending rates for those who have been contained in secure units.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 25 May 2004
	We plan shortly to publish research on reconviction rates for juvenile offenders, including those who have received custodial sentences. Because some offenders serve their sentences in more than one type of establishment, it is not possible to give a breakdown between different types of custodial establishment.

Secure Units

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that children sent to secure units are contained as near to their families as possible.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 25 May 2004
	The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) is responsible for commissioning and purchasing secure accommodation for young people who receive custodial sentences , and for placement decisions.
	It aims to improve the geographical spread of places suitable for the younger and more vulnerable young people in secure training centres (STCs) and local authority secure children's homes (LASCHs). It has already expanded two STCs by a total of 64 places and a new one is due to open this summer at Oakhill, Milton Keynes. Based on modelling of the home locations of young people placed since April 2000 , the 80 places that will be provided should improve the geographical coverage, in particular for young offenders from north London.

Secure Units

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the policy of the Youth Justice Board to reduce the number of beds it commissions from local authority secure children's homes; and what assessment he has made of the effects of such a policy.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 25 May 2004
	The Youth Justice Board's policy is to achieve higher standards of provision across the juvenile secure estate. This includes increasing and improving the geographical spread of places suitable for younger and more vulnerable young people in secure training centres (STCs) and local authority secure children's homes (LASCHs).
	As part of this policy, in 200405, 80 new STC places are due to open and 64 of the LASCH places will no longer be needed.

Self-harm

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many children have used strip/safe clothing as an instrument for self-harm in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the suitability of the strip/safe clothing worn by children assessed as being at risk of suicide and self-harm in prison; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I am not aware of any case where a juvenile (aged 15 to 17 years) has used safer clothing to self-harm. However, such data are not collated centrally, and examination of each individual incident would involve disproportionate cost.
	Prison Service policy is that normal clothing must not be removed from at-risk prisoners as a matter of course, but as necessary for the immediate safety of the prisoner, and then for the shortest time possible.

Sex Offenders

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation hostels in England and Wales provide a sex offender treatment programme.

Paul Goggins: Accredited sex offender treatment programmes are run by local Probation Areas, in specially adapted facilities.

Sex Offenders

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specialist training is provided for staff who work with sex offenders in hostels in England and Wales.

Paul Goggins: Probation staff who work with sex offenders attend the training courses approved by the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel. For hostel workers these focus particularly on techniques for motivating the offender to address their offence behaviour together with training in risk assessment and risk management.

Sex Offenders

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a guarantee that sex offenders will not be resettled in approved probation and bail hostels that are situated near to schools, play areas and swimming pools.

Paul Goggins: Approved premises play a vital role in the safe accommodation and supervision of offenders in the community, and must be managed as a national resource to achieve the best level of protection to the public and to victims. Every offender is assessed before placement and due account taken of the risks posed by proximity to schools and similar facilities.

Young Offenders Institutions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children with an assessment of vulnerability have been sent to young offenders institutions in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: Youth Offending Teams make the initial assessment as to whether a child is vulnerable. The ASSET assessment tool developed by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) sets out how the Youth Offending Team (Yot) should consider vulnerability and evidence their concerns. The following factors are taken into account for each child:
	Whether they are bullied, abused or neglected (behaviour of others)
	Whether they are affected by separation, loss or change of care (other events)
	Whether they are risk taking, including substance misuse (own behaviour)
	Whether there are indications of self-harm or suicide concerns.
	In deciding on the appropriate placement for each child assessed by the Yot as vulnerable, the YJB (or in some cases, the Prison Service Juvenile Group on behalf of the Secretary of State) takes into account the nature and level of the young person's vulnerability, their age and type of offence, their educational and healthcare needs and other relevant factors, such as proximity to home.
	Data on the number of children who were assessed as vulnerable by a Yot and subsequently placed in a Prison Service Young Offender Institution since April 2000 1 , are shown in the table.
	1 Figures are only available from April 2000 as this was when the juvenile secure estate was established.
	
		
			 April to March Remanded Detention and Training Order Section 90/91 1 Total 
		
		
			 200001 132 280 20 432 
			 200102 872 946 57 1,875 
			 200203 1,399 1,347 157 2,903 
			 200304 1,635 1,529 173 3,337 
		
	
	(49) Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000.
	The Prison Service is committed to ensuring that the children in its care, particularly the more vulnerable, are properly protected and safeguarded. All establishments in the Prison Service juvenile estate have child protection committees and have put in place child protection policies, anti-bullying strategies and procedures for identifying and caring for those at risk of harming themselves.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which now have troops stationed in Afghanistan; and how many troops are deployed in each case.

Adam Ingram: There are 32 nations contributing to the ISAF Multinational Brigade which operates within Kabul (although temporary deployments outside the city are authorised) and totals approximately 5,900 personnel. The nations are, Albania Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, The United Kingdom, The United States and Afghanistan. The UK commitment is approximately 360. ISAF also includes a German led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Konduz. The exact numbers deployed for each of these nations are a matter for the nations concerned.
	In addition to ISAF, the US led coalition operates across Afghanistan and includes the UK led PRT at Mazar-e-Sharif numbering approximately 100 personnel and a New Zealand PRT at Barman. While its area of operations covers the whole of Afghanistan it is focused mainly on the South. We do not hold details of all contributors to the coalition or the exact numbers available to the coalition forces commander. That information is a matter for the individual coalition contributors.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received from the NATO Secretary-General regarding the security situation in Afghanistan;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts regarding the security situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 May 2004
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence routinely discusses the security situation in Afghanistan with the NATO Secretary General and Alliance Defence Ministers.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the results of the force generation conference held in Brussels in March with the aim of manning and equipping the First Stage of the expansion of NATO's role in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 May 2004
	A conference to generate forces to proceed with the further expansion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was held at the Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe, in Mons on 11 March 2004. The conference was broadly successful and the United Kingdom, in conjunction with Denmark, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Romania and Sweden, has pledged sufficient forces to implement the first phase of the ISAF's expansion. Some shortfalls remain, however, that predominantly relate to aspects of the ISAF's continuing mission in Kabul: we are working actively with our partners in NATO and the ISAF to resolve these issues.

Afghanistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries contributing to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan; and what the current contribution of each country is.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 May 2004
	There are 32 nations contributing to the International Security Assistance Force Kabul Multinational Brigade which totals approximately 5,900 personnel. The nations are, Albania Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, The United Kingdom, The United States and Afghanistan. The UK commitment is approximately 360. ISAF also includes a German led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Konduz. The exact numbers deployed for each of these nations are a matter for the nations concerned.

Afghanistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money his Department spent in Afghanistan in each of the last three years; and if he will provide a breakdown of that expenditure by main heading.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence identifies the costs of operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operationtraining exercises for exampleare taken into account in arriving at the net figures.
	The net additional cost of operations in Afghanistan from 200103 by main heading are as follows:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200102 outturn  
			 Operating costs 188 
			 Capital expenditure 34 
			 Total 222 
			   
			 200203 outturn  
			 Operating costs 236 
			 Capital expenditure 75 
			 Total 311 
		
	
	It is still too early to say what the final outturn for 200304 will be but a total of 55 million was voted at spring supplementary estimates for Afghanistan comprising 40 million for operating costs and 15 million for Capital Expenditure. Final audited figures will be published in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts in September.

Al-Yamamah Programme

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims by BAE Systems for the provision of accommodation and support services for overseas visitors have been endorsed since 1 January 1999 by staff of his Department's Director General of the Saudi Armed Forces Project regarding the Al-Yamamah programme; and what the value of these claims was.

Geoff Hoon: There have been 57 BAE Systems' claims endorsed by members of the Director General of the Saudi Armed Forces Project that have included charges for the provision of accommodation and support services to Saudi service and civilian personnel on duty in the United Kingdom. The personnel involved were either attending training courses associated with the operation or maintenance of equipment supplied under the Al-Yamamah programme, or formed part of UK-based liaison teams monitoring contract performance in the logistics and training fields. The details of these claims are confidential between the two Governments, and I am therefore withholding that information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, their overall value has averaged around 1.25 million annually since 1 January 1999.

Amnesty International Report (Kosovo)

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning the Amnesty International report of May 2004 Facts and Figures on trafficking of women and girls for forced prostitution in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Amnesty International wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 6 May 2004 with a copy of the report, 'So does it mean that we have the rights? Protecting the human rights of women and girls trafficked for forced prostitution in Kosovo'. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 May 2004, Official Report, column 666W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).

BAE Systems

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department has offered BAE Systems in their bid to upgrade helicopters in Bulgaria.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Export Services Organisation has co-ordinated Government support for BAE System's bid to upgrade helicopters in Bulgaria. This has included briefing the Bulgarians on the UK's concept of operations for helicopters in a NATO environment and raising the matter with representatives of the Bulgarian Government.

BAE Systems

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation his Department has made of the value for money of the BAE Systems bid for the upgrading of helicopters in Bulgaria.

Adam Ingram: None. Overseas governments reach their own decisions on how best to meet the equipment needs of their armed forces.

BAE Systems

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings between BAE Systems and Bulgarian military personnel the British military attach in Sofia has attended in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Bulgaria; and on what dates.

Adam Ingram: The British Defence Attach in Sofia has regularly attended meetings between BAE Systems and Bulgarian military personnel in Bulgaria.
	One record has been traced of a meeting held in the UK on 9 December 2002. This was attended by the British Defence Attach, BAE Systems officials and a Bulgarian delegation led by the Chief of Defence Staff of the Bulgarian Armed Forces.

Belize

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength was of UK armed forces in Belize in each of the last 25 years.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The United Kingdom garrison in Belize was withdrawn in 1994. From the early 1980s until reductions in advance of withdrawal in the early 1990s, the garrison comprised a full battalion group with an element of RAF support, numbering in total an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 military personnel. In 1994, the garrison was replaced by the much smaller British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB). BATSUB currently has around 70 permanent military staff. In addition, many hundreds of personnel pass through BATSUB for short periods of training each year.

Computer File Formats

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is in respect of the computer file formats used for the (a) distribution and (b) archiving of publicly available documents.

Ivor Caplin: The policy of the Ministry of Defence is to follow the Guidelines for Government Websites, issued by the Office of the e-Envoy, when making documents publicly available in electronic form. Most documents published on www.mod.uk are in Hypertext Mark-Up Language (HTML) or Portable Document Format (pdf).

Declarations of Interest

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what declarations of interest were made by civil servants in the Saudi Armed Forces Project Office of the Ministry of Defence between 2000 and 2002.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 21 May 2004
	The question is assumed to refer to declarations made by civil servants when they hold private investments in companies with which they have official dealings. There are no records or knowledge of any such declarations by officials employed by the Saudi Armed Forces Project Office during this period.

Defence Bodies

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the balance sheets of the central management groups (a) Director General Information and Communication Services and (b) Defence Communication Services for financial year 19992000.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the letter I sent on 21 August 2003, Reference: D/Min(AF)/Al PQ 2185N/03/L) to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin), copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. The management grouping Balance Sheets are shown under the Central TLB for the Director General Information and Communication Services and the Chief of Defence Logistics TLB for the Defence Communication Services Agency.

Defence Bodies

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of capital charges incurred by the Defence Communication Services Agency was for financial years (a) 19992000 and (b) 200001.

Adam Ingram: The cost of capital charges reported by the Defence Communication Services Agency for the appropriate years were as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year  million 
		
		
			 19992000 43 
			 200001 58

Defence Bodies

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) operating cost statements, (b) statements of recognised gains and losses, (c) cash flow statements and (d) balance sheets for the Chief of Defence Logistics management group DG Defence Logistics Command Information Systems for financial year 200102;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the (a) operating cost statement, (b) statement of recognised gains and losses and (c) cash flow statement for the Chief of Defence Logistics management group Defence Fuels Group for financial year 19992000.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Aldershot (Mr. Howarth) on 20 November 2003 Official Report, column 1262W. I also refer the hon. Member to the holding answer I gave the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) on 6 October 2003 Official Report, column 1158W covering related financial statements, which includes the Defence Communication Services Agency and Defence Fuels Group.

Departmental Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the production of his Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence's Annual Report and Accounts 200203 (HC1125) was published by TSO (The Stationery Office). This was the first year for which the Annual Performance Report and Departmental Resource Accounts have been published as a single document. The MOD bought 750 copies of the Annual Report and Accounts 200203 at a cost of 19,584.00. MOD copies were distributed within the Department, to other Government Departments, other Governments, the HCDC, the House Libraries, Conservative and Liberal Democrat Defence and Treasury spokesmen, the Leader of the Cross Benches, and to members of the press. The Report is available on the MOD website, www.mod.uk
	TSO's production costs and the number of copies it printed are commercially confidential. However, TSO has advised that as of 20 May 2004, it had sold 402 copies of the Report at the cover price of 36.00.
	Producing the Annual Report draws on performance management and financial information across the Department. A large number of people are involved in the process and it is not possible to calculate the cost of the Report's production without incurring disproportionate expense.

Early Retirement

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff in his Department took early retirement, and at what total cost, in the last financial year.

Ivor Caplin: In the financial year 200304, 1320 staff took early retirement (870 non-industrial staff, 160 industrial staff and 280 staff from the Trading Funds). The figures have been individually rounded to the nearest ten. The figures are for permanent staff and include Trading Funds but exclude those on career breaks, long-term sick leave, secondments etc. The figures are full-time equivalent, which is a measure of the size of the workforce that takes account of the fact that some people work part-time.
	Information on the total cost of early retirement can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

India (Hawk Aircraft)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Memorandum of Understanding agreed with India concerning the supply of Hawk advanced jet trainers allows the project to be suspended by the UK if circumstances in India change; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The detailed provisions of Memoranda of Understanding concluded in confidence with overseas governments are withheld under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Parliamentary Questions

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) ordinary written and (b) named day questions his Department received in (i) the 200203 and (ii) this parliamentary session up to the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by month;
	(2)  what proportion of (a) ordinary written questions to his Department were answered within five sitting days of tabling and (b) Questions for a named day received a substantive answer on that day on (i) 200203 and (ii) this parliamentary session up to the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by month.

Ivor Caplin: Information on the number of named day and ordinary written questions tabled to Defence Ministers in the 200203 parliamentary session and the current session up to and including 30 April is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Session 200203 Number of named day questions Number of ordinary written questions 
		
		
			 1330 November 2002 125 260 
			 December 2002 122 232 
			 January 2003 68 476 
			 February 2003 69 316 
			 March 2003 77 298 
			 April 2003 65 295 
			 May 2003 83 427 
			 June 2003 86 376 
			 July 2003 45 372 
			 August 2003   
			 September 2003 49 217 
			 October 2003 29 297 
			 Up to 20 November 2003 51 186 
		
	
	
		
			 Current Session Number of named day questions Number of ordinary written questions 
		
		
			 2630 November 2003 12 71 
			 December 2003 46 265 
			 January 2004 64 334 
			 February 2004 83 282 
			 March 2004 72 314 
			 April 2004 46 269 
		
	
	The proportion of named day questions answered on the day specified, or ordinary written questions answered within five sitting days is not readily available on the current MOD PQ database and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Defence Ministers aim to answer named day questions on the day named and ordinary written questions within five days. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 31 March 2004, Official Report, column 907W, to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House (Mr. Hain).

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what attempts have been made in interviews conducted with Saddam Hussein to get him to reveal the locations of weapons of mass destruction, and their production facilities, in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: Saddam Hussein, since his capture by the United States Forces, has remained in US custody. During his debrief he will have been asked questions covering the whole spectrum of political and military interest.

Iraq

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) weapons, (b) vehicles and (c) other equipment has been supplied to private security forces contracted to United Kingdom Government interests in Iraq; and at what cost.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has not provided any weapons, vehicles or other equipment to Private Security Forces in Iraq.

Joint Combat Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what representations he has received from (a) industry and (b) his Department's Integrated Project Team on the likely costs of resolving the weight problem of the Short Take Off Vertical Landing variant of the Joint Combat Aircraft;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the progress of work on the Future Joint Combat Aircraft;
	(3)  what representations he has received from collaboration partners in the Joint Strike Fighter project about the weight problems with the aircraft.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 11 May 2004, Official Report, column 221W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch) about the impact of the current weight predictions for the Short Take Off/Vertical Landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter. Progress on the Future Joint Combat Aircraft programme is clearly linked to the work in hand to address the problem.
	Ministerial and officials regularly discuss the Joint Strike Fighter programme. There have been no specific representations from industry or the partner nations on the costs of solving the weight problem.

Joint Combat Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects the Joint Combat Aircraft to meet its projected in-service date of 2012.

Adam Ingram: Our current planning assumption remains that the forecast in-service Ddate for the Joint Combat Aircraft is 2012. Formal approval of the in-service date is not required before the first main investment decision point which is due in late 2006.

Kosovo

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the 1st Battalion of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment will be replaced as a spearhead battalion in Kosovo; and by which units.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The 1st Battalion the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment withdrew from Kosovo as planned on 17 April 2004. They continue to be on standby as the Ready Battalion of the NATO Operational Reserve Force (ORF) for the Balkans until 30 June. After this date, the US will take over the Ready Battalion role, with the 2nd Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment then forming one of three ORF standby battalions on lower readiness to deploy to the Balkans.

Land Accident Investigation Team

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many investigations were conducted by the Land Accident Investigation Team for the last full year for which figures are available, broken down by nature; and how many and what percentage of investigations involved the deaths of (a) service personnel and (b) civilians.

Ivor Caplin: Between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2004, the Land Accident Investigation Team investigated 161 reported incidents.
	These investigations, broken down by nature, are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Adventurous Training 12 
			 Ammunition 52 
			 Equipment 13 
			 Military Training 24 
			 Miscellaneous 8 
			 Physical Training 7 
			 Vehicle Accidents 45 
		
	
	Of these, 20 (12.4 per cent.) involved the deaths of service personnel, while three (1.8 per cent.) involved the deaths of civilians.

Medals

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will aim to complete distribution of the new General Service Medal with clasp Canal Zone by 11 November.

Ivor Caplin: No, despite the allocation of additional resources to the task of assessing these claims, it will not be possible to complete distribution by 11 November. Applications continue to arrive at between 200 and 300 a week. I have, however, set action in train in order that productivity can be maximised and the backlog reduced.

Military Tattoos

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the military tattoos that have taken place since the last Royal Tournament; when they took place; and what form they took.

Adam Ingram: Following the last Royal Tournament in 1999, the Department has continued to mount major set-piece events/tattoos to demonstrate the capability of the armed forces. The armed forces have helped stage the Royal Military Tattoo in 2000, the International Festival of the Sea in 2001, and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Celebrations in Portsmouth in 2002. The department has also continued to participate in a wide variety of smaller events such as Open Days, ships visits, County Shows and showcase events such as the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Fairford Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).

Missile Defence

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government has spent on its participation in the United States-led development of a missile defence shield; and how much he plans to spend over the next year.

Geoff Hoon: For the period up to 31 March 2004 I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 920W, to the hon. Member for Hereford (Mr. Keetch). For financial year 200405 expenditure by the United Kingdom on research specific to Ballistic Missile Defence technology will be in the order of 6 million.

MOD Estate/Properties

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) land and buildings owned or leased by the Department and (b) land that the Department has rights to use in (i) Chorley and (ii) Lancashire.

Ivor Caplin: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) Land and buildings owned or leased in Chorley and Lancashire:
	(i) Chorley:
	Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, Devonshire Road
	(ii) Other Lancashire Sites:
	BlackburnArmy Careers Information Office, 46 Church Street
	BlackburnReserve Forces and Cadets Association, Canterbury Street
	BlackpoolArmy Careers Information Office, 162 Church Street
	BurnleyArmy Careers Information Office, 14 Yorkshire Street
	BuryHolcombe Training Centre, Hawkshaw
	LancasterHalton Training Camp, Halton
	LancasterMarried Quarters, Anderson Close
	PrestonCommunications Site, Barnacre, Garstang
	PrestonOffice Accommodation, Ashton House, Cottam Lane
	PrestonArmed Forces Careers Office, 83aFishergate
	PrestonArmed Forces Careers Office, 54 Fishergate
	PrestonFulwood Barracks, Fulwood
	PrestonOffice Accommodation, 46 Edward VII Quay, Navigation Way
	PrestonRadio Inskip Communications Station, Inskip
	PrestonMarried Quarters, Brooklands Avenue, Sherwood Way and Watling Street
	PrestonWeeton Barracks, Camp and Married Quarters, Weeton
	PrestonMarried Quarters, Butlers Meadow, Warton
	(b) Land with Rights to Use:
	(i) Chorley:
	None
	(ii) Other Lancashire Sites:
	BurnleyArmy Careers Information Office, 14 Yorkshire Street (Car Parking)
	LancasterHalton Training Camp (Mooring on River Lime)
	PrestonArmed Forces Careers Office, 83a Fishergate (Car Parking)

MOD Estate/Properties

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 31 March, Official Report, column 1483W, on MOD properties, if he will break down the figures given by (a) type of accommodation and (b) number of bedrooms.

Ivor Caplin: A breakdown of the previous answer is not available. The Defence Housing Executive keeps current records of housing type and occupancy, but does not keep historical records of data in the detail requested, due to the frequent changes to property.

Nimrod MRA4

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 5 May 2004, Official Report, column 1523W, on Nimrod MRA4, what procedures are in place to ensure that a consistent approach to design, development and manufacture is taken in decisions on procurement when these decisions are separated under the contract.

Adam Ingram: A consistent approach to design, development and manufacture will be best achieved for Nimrod MRA4 by contracting for production based on a mature and stable design standard resulting from the design and development phase, including test and evaluation. Both phases will then continue to be managed by the same Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems teams to ensure the most coherent programme is delivered.

Photographs (Daily Mirror)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Daily Mirror informed his Department before publication that the photographs claiming to be of abuse of an Iraqi prisoner by British armed forces were to be published.

Adam Ingram: The Daily Mirror informed the Department's Press Office at around 3:45 pm on 30 April 2004 that they would be publishing some photographs purporting to show physical abuse of an Iraqi detainee by British Army personnel. A selection of photographs was subsequently published the next day.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) L5A7 and (b) L21A1 plastic baton rounds have been supplied to British forces in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding details of equipment numbers under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what tests have been carried out, and when, on the (a) L5A7 and (b) L21A1 plastic baton rounds for use in hot weather climates.

Adam Ingram: Tests were carried out in February 2004 on the L5A7 Plastic Baton Round for use in hot climates. The L21A1 Plastic Baton Round was tested when brought into service in 2001 and there is a continuing programme to test the round for use in hot climates.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the recommended storage temperature is for (a) L5A7 and (b) L21A1 plastic baton rounds; and what the recommended safe shelf storage period is for each.

Adam Ingram: The recommended storage temperature for the L5A7 Baton Round is -10C to +40C and the safe shelf storage period is two years. The recommended storage temperature for the L21A1 is -21C to +40C with a safe shelf storage period of 18 months.

Procurement

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1451W, on procurement, what procedures are in place to (a) ensure that a consistent approach is taken to procurement decisions and (b) coordinate procurement decisions.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence makes many procurement decisions each year. The vast majority are made locally under delegated authority, within the framework of central departmental policy and guidance. Decisions on major procurements are made by the Department's central approvals machinery, with Ministers involvement required for equipment projects whose total acquisition cost exceeds 50 million. For the biggest projects, other Government Departments, including in particular HM Treasury, are also part of the decision-making process.

RAF Boulmer

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed of 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1450W, on RAF Boulmer, if he will review, under the terms of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, his decision to cite Exemption 2 of the Code in support of his decision not to disclose details of the Investment Appraisal.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 May 2004
	I have referred the decision for independent review in accordance with the Ministry of Defence's usual policy and procedures for compliance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Sergeant Steve Roberts

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what disciplinary actions have been (a) recommended and (b) taken following the death of Sergeant Steve Roberts; and what the duration was of the Special Investigation Branch investigation.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch commenced their investigation into the death of Sergeant Steve Roberts on 24 March 2003 and issued their Final Report on 20 April 2004. As their findings are now subject to legal consideration, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

Territorial Army

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of Territorial Army bounty payments were made on time this year; what the causes of failed payments were; what the timetable is for resolution of such problems; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: To determine the proportion of bounty payments paid promptly would require every TA unit, in conjunction with Army pay staff to examine manually the pay account of each TA soldier to identify instances where payment was delayed, and the reasons why this might have occurred. This could only be done at a disproportionate cost. However, as at 30 April 2004 approximately 16,000 bounty payments had been paid.
	The late or incorrect submission of data to the Army Pay computer may cause a small number of individuals to experience a slight delay in receiving their bounty payment, there are no known problems affecting the payment of bounties.

Territorial Army

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the man training days budget for the Territorial Army was for each of the last 10 years; how many man training days that represents in each case; what the manning establishment of the Territorial Army was in each of the last 10 years; and what the actual manning level was in each year.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 May 2004
	The establishment and strength figures for the Territorial Army (TA) for the last 10 years are as follows:
	
		
			  Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 1994 75,624 65,000 
			 1995 63,950 59,900 
			 1996 59,000 57,300 
			 1997 72,179 57,600 
			 1998 41,200 57,000 
			 1999 41,200 51,800 
			 2000 41,200 44,800 
			 2001 41,200 41,500 
			 2002 41,900 40,300 
			 2003 41,900 39,011 
		
	
	Information on the budget available for TA Man Training Days (MTDs) prior to the 1998 Strategic Defence Review is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost The information requested for each financial year since 1998 is as follows:
	
		
			  MTDs Budget ( million) 
		
		
			 199899 124.3 
			 19992000 122.1 
			 200001 125.5 
			 200102 104.7 
			 200203 103.4 
			 200304 113.8 
		
	
	This figure does not translate into a specific number of MTDs, since each individual is paid differently according to rank, skill, and length of service. As a general guide, the MTD budget enables each member of the TA to undertake some 30 MTDs per year. Some specialist elements of the TA may be allocated more or less than this figure depending on their unit and role.

Training

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is possible for a person to have served as a national serviceman for two years without completing basic training.

Adam Ingram: Between 1950 and 1960, when the period of full time service was set at two years, the policy was that all national servicemen would have routinely received basic training appropriate to their service. It would therefore be highly unlikely that a national serviceman would have served two years without completing basic training.

Trooping of the Colour

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of staging the Trooping of the Colour in 2003.

Adam Ingram: The additional cost of the Trooping of the Colour 2003 including all rehearsals, the General Officer Commanding's review, the Colonel's review and The Queen's Birthday Parade was 22,500. This can be attributed to the hiring of vehicles required to transport the participating troops to and from central London. Other minor costs, such as dry cleaning, communications and rations may also have been incurred, but these cannot be separated from general expenditure for similar purposes made throughout the year. The cost of seating spectators in 2003 amounted to some 141,000, which was recovered from the sale of tickets for the event. The Metropolitan Police and Westminster City Council may also have incurred costs, but my Department has no visibility of the extent of these.

UN Operations

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the International Committee of the Red Cross report was received by him or his ministerial colleagues; and when it was first brought to his attention.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 May 2004 Official Report, column 1148W to the hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood).

UN Operations

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the International Committee of the Red Cross report on the treatment by Coalition forces of prisoners of war in Iraq was passed to the Foreign Office.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram) on 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 1637W.

UN Operations

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the provisions of the Third Geneva Convention, articles 70, 122, 12 and the Fourth Geneva Convention, articles 106, 136, 137, 138, 140 are delivered to the families of Iraqi prisoners of war and civilian detainees.

Geoff Hoon: Individuals brought to the United Kingdom detention facility are asked to complete a form with details of an individual who they wish to be notified of their detention. The nominated individual is then informed by the armed forces. To date there have been no complaints lodged by the internees that their families are not aware or notified of their whereabouts.

UN Operations

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private organisations are providing support to UK military forces in Iraq; and what role each has.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence has many contracts with UK companies for the provision of support to deployed operations. These contracts are generally for the provision of service support, welfare and equipment support. Currently there are 10 UK prime contractor companies deployed as on Operation Telic providing support to UK forces in areas such as food supply, communications, welfare provision and infrastructure works. In addition the in-theatre UK forces have let around 100 contracts with local companies covering a wide range of service support type needs (water supply, generator hire, air conditioning hire, waste disposal, etc.).

UN Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK troops are deployed as UN (a) troops and (b) military observers; what operations they are involved with; where they are stationed; and how many were so deployed in each of the last seven years.

Adam Ingram: The following table sets out the approximate number of UK troops deployed as United Nations military observers and troops, the operations they were involved with and where they were stationed in each of the last seven years:
	
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 
			  Observers Troops Observers Troops Observers Troops Observers Troops 
		
		
			 UNFICYP(50)Cyprus  412  410  411  410 
			 UNIKO(51) Kuwait 11  11  11  11  
			 UNOMIG(52) Georgia 7  7  7  7  
			 UNAMSIL(53) Sierra Leone   15 8 
			 UNTAET(54) East Timor   4  
			 UNMIK(55) Kosovo   1  
			 MONUC(56) DRCongo5 
			 UNMEE(57) Ethiopia/Eritrea 
			 UNAMA(58)Afghanistan 
			 UNMIL(50) 0  Liberia 
			 TOTAL 18 412 18 410 18 411 38 423 
		
	
	
		
			  2002 2003 2004 
			  Observers Troops Observers Troops Observers Troops 
		
		
			 UNFICYP(50) Cyprus  413  414  413 
			 UNIKO(51) Kuwait 11 1 11
			 UNOMIG(52) Georgia 7  7  7  
			 UNAMSIL(53) Sierra Leone 15 7 15 7 15 7 
			 UNTAET(54) East Timor 2  
			 UNMIK(55) Kosovo 1  1  1  
			 MONUC(56) DRCongo  6  6  5 
			 UNMEE(57) Ethiopia/Eritrea 1 3 1 2 1 2 
			 IJNAMA(58) Afghanistan 1  1  1  
			 UNMIL(50) 0  Liberia3  3 
			 TOTAL 38 430 36 433 25 430 
		
	
	(50) UK contribution to UNFICYP commenced in 1964
	(51) UK contribution to UNIKOM mission commenced in October 1999 and completed in October 2003
	(52) UK contribution to UNMOIG commenced in August 1993
	(53) UK contribution to UNAMSIL mission commenced October 2002
	(54) UK contribution to UNTAET mission commenced October 1999 and completed in April 2002
	(55) UK contribution to UNMIK mission commenced in June 2001
	(56) MONUC commenced November 1999
	(57) UK contribution to UNMEE commenced in June 2000
	(58) UK contribution to UNAMA mission commenced December 2002 and completed in January 2004
	(59) 0 UK contribution to UNMIL mission commenced September 2003

UN Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) attack helicopters, (b) engineering units and (c) field hospitals his Department is contributing to UN operations; and how many of each it contributed in each of the last seven years.

Adam Ingram: For each of the last seven years the United Kingdom has contributed a 13 person engineering detachment to support the UK element of UNFICYP in Cyprus. The UK has not contributed any attack helicopters or field hospitals to United Nations operations in the last seven years.

UN Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much training his Department provides to (a) troops and (b) military observers participating in UN missions; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Prior to deployment on United Nations missions the Ministry of Defence provides its troops with three training packages; general country awareness (briefings on culture, media awareness, etc.), mandatory skills (training in negotiation, mediation, observation reporting and public order) and a group training exercise which simulates dealing with violations of a UN mandate.
	Prior to deployment on UN missions MOD provides its UN military observers with a two week training package; which includes: operations awareness briefing, intelligence briefing, theatre hand-over, cultural awareness, language training, personal health and safety (mine awareness, stress management), off-road four wheel driving, environmental health, conduct after capture, use of interpreters, negotiation and mediation.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Recycling Rates

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the recycling rates of each local authority are, listed in descending order.

Elliot Morley: A table listing the percentage of household waste recycled and composted by each local authority in England in 200202 (the most recent year for which data is available) will be placed in the Library of the House.

Air Quality

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the air quality rates were in (a) Portsmouth, (b) Southampton and (c) rural Hampshire in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: The following table contains the annual mean concentrations of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and particles (PM 1 0 ) at Portsmouth, Southampton, rural East Sussex and rural Oxfordshire. Defra does not monitor air quality in rural Hampshire. These data are available on the National Air Quality Information Archive on the internet (www.airquality.co.uk).
	The table also shows the number of days of moderate air pollution or worse at the four sites. Pollution at each site on each day is defined according to the pollutant that is in the highest band during that day.
	
		
			  Annual mean concentrations at automatic monitoring stations (micrograms per metre cubed) 
			 Site Ozone Nitrogen dioxide Carbon monoxide (milligrams per metre cubed) Sulphur dioxide PM 1  0   (Gravimetric Equivalent) Number of days of moderate air pollution or worse 
		
		
			 Portsmouth   
			 2001 (60) 28  3 23 3 
			 2002  26 0.2 3 23 0 
			 2003 52 26 0.2 6 24 55 
			
			 Southampton   
			 2001 34 38 0.6 8 26 20 
			 2002 37 33 0.4 6 26 11 
			 2003 40 36 0.6 6 28 48 
			
			 Lullington Heath (rural East Sussex  
			 2001 57 12.6  2.9  53 
			 2002 55 10.8  2.5  41 
			 2003 63 12.5  3.3  100 
			
			 Harwell (rural Oxfordshire)  
			 2001 49 17.1  3.1 19 42 
			 2002 51 14.6  2.3 17 36 
			 2003 60 15.8  3.6 20 90 
		
	
	(60) Pollutant not measured at this site.

Ancient Trees

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will create a new designation of historic tree to protect ancient and historic trees from destruction.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have no plans to amend environmental protection or planning legislation to create such a new designation. The on-going review of heritage protection is focusing on the reform of existing designations.

Ancient Trees

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategies her Department (a) applies and (b) intends to apply for the protection of ancient and historic trees.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	Ancient and historic trees enjoy some measure of statutory protection under legislation relating to tree preservation orders, woodland protection, nature conservation and historic landscapes. Under the biodiversity strategy for England, incentives such as the Forestry Commission's Woodland Grant Scheme are being refined to encourage the restoration and sustainable management of ancient woodlands.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the costs to the farming industry of implementing the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 in each of the next 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The total cost of the package of amendments to the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations brought in in 2002 was estimated to have a total present value of 1.7 billion in the 50 years 200050. The vast majority of this, 1.5 billion, is the estimated total present value cost of implementing the new regulation 4, the duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises.
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment for the new duty to manage estimated the undiscounted cost to the agricultural industry over the first 10 years after implementation to be 41 million in the first year, 33 million in the second year, 31 million in each of the subsequent four years, and 1 million in each of the final four years (valued in 2000 prices). There are approximately 163,540 agricultural premises in Great Britain.

Asbestos

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she has given to farmers on identifying materials containing asbestos in premises under their control.

Jane Kennedy: I have been asked to reply.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has worked with representatives of the farming community, including the National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Rural, Agricultural and Allied Workers section of the TGWU, on asbestos related issues through the Health in Agriculture Group, which was set up in 1997.
	Guidance on asbestos is included in the HSE guide to health and safety on farms 'Farmwise'. HSE also commented on NFU's specific guidance on asbestos.

Climate Change

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of climate change on the quantities of water that may be sustainably abstracted over the next 50 years, broken down by region.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given to her on 19 April 2004, Official Report, column 161W.

Climate Change

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the concept of contraction and convergence as the basis for international negotiations on climate change beyond 2010.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 18 May 2004
	On the one hand, the contraction and convergence framework promises both global participation in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and a means of ensuring that greenhouse gas concentrations are stabilised in the atmosphere at a level that avoids dangerous climate change. On the other hand, it requires upfront agreement on the level at which greenhouse gas concentrations should be stabilised, something that many countries are reluctant to discuss; it is based on a per-capita approach which a number of countries with high per capita emissions strongly oppose, and requires a governance structure that binds countries in for decades. The UK remains open to discussing the relative merits of the contraction and convergence approach with other countries and stakeholders, along with other approaches.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will obtain a reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton from the Food Standards Agency regarding Mr. and Mrs. P. Acton, as promised in her letter dated 28 April.

Alun Michael: The letter referred to by the right hon. Member concerned European Rules on vitamin and mineral supplements which is a matter for the Department of Health. The letter was transferred to the Food Standards Agency on 28 April and the right hon. Member was informed that the transfer had taken place. It is not appropriate for me to comment on when a response will be sent by Department of Health.

Countryside Access

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to facilitate access to open countryside;
	(2)  how much money has been allocated to the opening up of the countryside in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how much funding her Department plans to allocate to facilitate access to open countryside under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000;
	(4)  what additional grants will be made to local authorities for implementation of new Part 1 access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Alun Michael: Defra is working with a wide range of organisations to ensure that people will enjoy the full benefits of the new right of access introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The first two regions, the South East and lower North West, open for access on 19 September.
	We are looking in detail with the Countryside Agency, Ordnance Survey and other bodies closely involved in the implementation of the new right at ways to make information about the Act widely available to the public. As part of our communications strategy, the Countryside Agency will very shortly be issuing guidance to access authorities (National Park Authorities in National Parks and local highway authorities elsewhere) and land managers on the use of signs.
	The guidance will give access authorities the lead role in erecting and maintaining signs to show where open access rights exist and will encourage them to consult widely with land managers, local access forums and other interested parties in drawing up their plans. New signs will not be needed in every case and the guidance will advocate careful thought about whether additional signage is appropriate. The Countryside Agency will also be issuing a new and up-to-date Countryside Code on 12 July. Ordnance Survey is preparing to show access land on its Explorer maps.
	Defra is funding the Countryside Agency, National Park Authorities and the Planning Inspectorate to implement Part 1 of the Act. The Countryside Agency has so far spent 29.30 million, consisting of 0.75 million in 19992000; 0.92 million in 200001; 5.17 million in 200102; 8.30 million in 200203; 13.25 million in 200304; and 0.77 million to date in 200405. The Agency expects to spend a further 14.23 million in the current financial year. National Park Authorities have been allocated an additional 4.725 million, consisting of 0.875 million in 200203; 2.0 million in 200304; and 1.85 million in 200405. We have also funded the Planning Inspectorate to deal with appeals against the inclusion of land on provisional maps and restriction appeals: 0.11 million in 200102; 0.84 million in 200203 and 1.20 million in 200304. The Planning Inspectorate expect to spend no more than 2 million in the current financial year. Local authorities have been funded to establish local access forums under Part V of the Act.
	Further, I have announced funding of 2 million for 200405 towards an access management grant scheme to support local authorities in implementing the new right of access. The scheme, which will be administered by the Countryside Agency, will contribute towards access authorities' preparatory planning costs and cover between 50 per cent. and 75 per cent. of the cost of new infrastructure work agreed with the Agency, such as signage, foot bridges and gates. It will give highest priority to especially sensitive nature conservation sites where effective management will avoid the need for a legal restriction to be placed on access, but will also fund management measures on sites outside nature conservation areas.
	The scheme runs to the end of March 2005 and I will be considering whether to extend it in the light of its success this year and in the context of Defra's future spending priorities. Interim guidance about how the scheme will work has been available since April. The Agency will issue final guidance in early June.
	The Government will allocate sufficient resources in future years to ensure the successful implementation of the new right of access under the Act.

Dairy Farmers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what additional assistance she plans to give to dairy farmers; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: UK dairy farmers already benefit from aid under the CAP worth around 2 billion for the EU. This will include for the first time, from this year, direct payments to dairy farmers, in addition to market support measures.
	The Government are also taking action in line with their Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food to facilitate industry action to address the causes of low farmgate prices and to adapt to the new conditions created by the reformed CAP. For example:
	my noble friend Lord Whitty has been chairing meetings of a Dairy Supply Chain Forum, which has been looking at collaborative solutions to improve supply chain efficiency, as well as other issues.
	The Government have made a grant of nearly 0.5 million to the Food Chain Centre to examine how to improve dairy supply chain efficiency; and
	we have established English Food and Farming Partnerships to encourage co-operation and collaboration across all agricultural sectors.

Dee Estuary (Dredging)

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has in decisions on dredging in the Dee estuary.

Elliot Morley: Regulatory control of dredging in the Dee is the responsibility of both the Department for Transport and the Environment Agency.
	The Department licenses the disposal at sea of dredged materials under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. Responsibility for licensing in Welsh waters is devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government to which my officials provide advice.

Departmental Administration Budget

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards the five per cent. reduction in real terms in her Department's administration budget by 2008 announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March, Official Report, column 331.

Alun Michael: The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the public spending settlements for 2006 -8 to be announced in detail later this year.

Departmental Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were employed in the Department to work in the communications field, and what the total expenditure on communications for the Department was, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others, in (A) 199495, (B) 199697, (C) 199798 and (D) 200102.

Alun Michael: Defra was formed in June 2001. Information on the numbers employed in communications work in the Departments that previously dealt with Defra's policies and activities could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The costs for 200102 are not retained in the manner requested by the question, however the total cost of staff and related expenditure for the Communications Directorate of the Department was 5.0 million. The staff costs and related non-pay running costs of the press office was 1.7 million.
	The total number of staff engaged at the mid-point of the year was 149, of which approximately 70 were communications professionals. 27 staff (inclusive of support staff) were in the press office. The remainder of the staff were employed in marketing, internal communications, new media, strategic planning, publication and print, library and translations, business support, finance and purchasing.
	The Special Advisers' Code of Conduct sets out the sort of work a special adviser may undertake on behalf of their Minister. This includes communications activity. Details of the costs of special advisers are given on an annual basis.

Electric Shock Collars

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent evidence she has received on the effects of electric shock collars; and what action she intends to take.

Ben Bradshaw: We have recently received a report from the Kennel Club which is currently being evaluated by Defra veterinarians.

Energy Efficiency

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget she provided to fund the Carbon Trust in (a) 200203, (b) 200304 and (c) 200405, expressed in April 2004 money.

Elliot Morley: Defra funding of the Carbon Trust in each year (rounded to the nearest  million), converted to 200405 money using HM Treasury GDP Deflator was as follows.
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200203 29 
			 200304 53 
		
	
	The Carbon Trust's outturn for 200405 will not be known until after the end of the current financial year, but they have been offered Defra grant funding of about 60 million.
	The Carbon Trust receives funding from the Climate Change Levy via Defra for England and via separate relationships with the devolved Administrations. The Carbon Trust Defra budget included end-year-flexibility of 6 million in 200203, 7 million in 200304 and 16 million in 200405.

Farm Production

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the total amount of plastic waste generated by farming for each of the last three years; and what methods were used to dispose of it.

Elliot Morley: The Biffaward report, Toward Sustainable Agricultural Waste Management (2001), estimates that 109,000 tonnes a year of plastic arises as waste in the agricultural sector (England and Wales). The Agricultural Waste Survey (2003) indicates that most agricultural waste is currently disposed of on-farm by open burning, by burial or disposal in farm dumps. The report and survey referred to are available on the Environment Agency's website at: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
	The Government propose to consult later in the summer on the draft Regulations necessary to repeal section 75(7)(c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and to apply to agricultural waste the controls already in place to comply with the Waste Framework Directive and the Landfill Directive (England and Wales). The consultation paper will also discuss the options for dealing with the recovery of non-packaging plastic waste from the agricultural sectorincluding the continuation of the existing local voluntary schemes or the introduction of a national voluntary or statutory producer responsibility scheme. Plastic packaging waste from the agricultural sector is already the subject of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended).

Flooding/Coastal Erosion

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many properties were protected against flood risk in the flood risk areas in (a) 200203 and (b) 200304; and how many have been so protected in 200405 to date;
	(2)  how many properties were protected from coastal erosion from an eroding frontage in (a) 200203 and (b) 200304; and how many have been so protected in 200405 to date.

Elliot Morley: Defra's Service Delivery Agreement (SDA) target 27 includes reducing flood and coastal erosion risk to some 80,000 houses between April 2003 and March 2006. Houses are counted when risk reduction is actually in place, either on completion of the project or on completion of a phase within it. This method of counting was introduced with the SDA target in March 2003. I am able to provide the outturn figure for SDA 27 for 200304 only, which is a total of some 20,000 houses.
	The figure of 20,000 is a total for both flooding and coastal erosion risk. Of these houses, just over 1,300 have benefited from works carried out by local authorities wholly or in part to protect against coastal erosion as well as flooding from the sea, of which some 365 are identified as benefiting primarily from reduction of coastal erosion risk. It is possible that some of these 365 also benefit from reduction of flood risk.
	I regret I am unable to provide figures for 200203 or 200405 to date on the same rigorous counting basis without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the progressive 200405 outturn will be published on the Defra website (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/aim.htm) during the year, with the first update expected in October.

Flooding/Coastal Erosion

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will announce the indication priority score for coastal defence schemes for 200607.

Elliot Morley: In order to qualify for Defra grant, proposals must meet fundamental economic, technical and environmental criteria and achieve the threshold priority score for the year in which they are to begin. I announced an indicative threshold score of 10 for 200607 in April. This indicative threshold is subject to possible change in the light of firmer information on funding and authorities' plans for works nationally. I hope to announce any such change later this year.
	Defra is willing to consider projects now for approval to start in 200607 against the indicative threshold of 10 and, although there is no guarantee we will be able to fund them before 200607, it may be possible to bring individual approved projects forward depending on availability of funds in-year. Changes to the threshold will not affect projects which have already been approved.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications have been received for separate cells for hazardous waste in trade landfill sites; what the expected capacity for hazardous waste is at each of these sites; what the location is of each of these sites; and when she expects each of these to be available to receive hazardous waste.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 25 May 2004
	Up to 21 May, the Environment Agency has received 38 applications for stable, non-reactive hazardous waste cellsseparate cellsat non-hazardous waste landfills. This number may increase as further tranches of permit applications are received by the Agency, depending on operators' decisions. All such sites are merchant landfill sites. Two applications have been refused, two have been granted and one application has been withdrawn.
	Final figures for the estimated capacities are not yet available as not all application contained sufficient detail for this to be assessed. The two permitted sites have an annual capacity of 57,500 tonnes.
	The following table indicates the known location and operator for each of the 38 sites for which applications have been received and the status of each application.
	
		
			 Application Site name Location Operator Status 
		
		
			 1 Seaton Meadows Teeside, Middlesbrough Able UK Pending 
			 2 Lillyhall Phase 3 Distington, Cumbria Alco Waste Management Permit issued 
			 3 Arpley Landfill Warrington, Cheshire 3C waste Pending 
			 4 Risley Landfill Warrington, Cheshire Biffa Waste Services Ltd. Pending 
			 5 Aycliffe Quarry East Newton Aycliffe, Middlesbrough Stonegrave Aggregates Ltd. Application refused 
			 6 Pilsworth North Landfill Bury, Manchester Viridor Waste Management Ltd. Permit issued 
			 7 Lord St. Helens St. Helens, Lancashire Cory Environmental Application for separate cell for stable non-reactive waste withdrawn 
			 8 Dimmer Landfill Dimmer Landfill, Dimmer Lane, Castle Cary, Somerset, BA7 7NR Wyvern Waste Application refused 
			 9 Poundbottom Forest Road, Redlych, Salisbury, Wiltshire CSG Group Ltd. Pending 
			 10 Candles Landfill Site 1 Dog Lane, New Works, Telford, Shropshire Onyx Landfill Pending 
			 11 Chelson Meadow Chelson Meadow Landfill, The Ride, Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 7JA Plymouth County Council Pending 
			 12 Ling Hall Warwickshire Onyx Landfill Pending 
			 13 Bletchley Landfill Site Newton Longville, Bucks Shanks Pending 
			 14 Elvaston Landfill Site Shardlow, Derbyshire Biffa Waste Services Ltd. Pending 
			 15 Weldon Landfill Site Weldon, Northants Shanks and McEwan Ltd. Pending 
			 16 Dogsthorpe Landfill Site Dogsthorpe, Peterborough Shanks Midlands Ltd. Pending 
			 17 Middlemarsh Skegness, Lincs Waste Recycling Group Pending 
			 18 Calvert Landfill Site Calvert, Bucks Shanks Pending 
			 19 Dorket Head Quarry Landfill Notts Waste Recycling Group Pending 
			 20 Erin Landfill Site Chesterfield, Derbyshire Viridor Pending 
			 21 North Herts Landfill Site Hitchin, Herts Biffa Waste Services Ltd. Pending 
			 22 Packington Landfill Litle Packington, Warks SITA Pending 
			 23 Sidegate Landfill Site Wellingborough, Northants SITA Pending 
			 24 Masons Landfill Suffolk Viridor Pending 
			 25 Wangford Suffolk Viridor Pending 
			 26 Bilsthorpe Quarry Brailworth Road, Bilsthorpe, Notts Waste Recycling Ltd. Pending 
			 27 Wyrley Grove Landfill Gorsey Lane, Pelshall, Walsall, Staffs Cleansing Service Group Pending 
			 28 Vigo Utopia Coppice Lane, Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Mids Cory Environmental Ltd. Pending 
			 29 Boston Boston, Lincs Waste Recycling Ltd. Pending 
			 30 Ardley Landfill Ardley Landfill, Ardley Quarry Southern Extension, Ardley Fields Farm, Ardley, Oxfordshire, OX6 9PH Viridor Waste Management Ltd. Pending 
			 31 Deepmoor High Bullen, St. Giles in the Wood, Torrington, Devon, EX38 7JA Devon Waste Management Ltd. Pending 
			 32 Connon Bridge East Taphouse, Liskard, Cornwall, PL14 4NP County Environmental Services Ltd. Pending 
			 33 Blue Haze Blue Haze Landfill, Somerley, Ringwood, Hants Onyx Landfill Ltd. Pending 
			 34 Beacon Hill Beacon Hill, Wareham Road, Corfe Mullen SITA Products and Services Ltd. Pending 
			 35 Granville Granville/Woodhouse Landfill, Grange Lane, St. Georges, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 9PB Shropshire Waste management Ltd. Pending 
			 36 Himley Wood Himley Quarry, Oak Lane, Kingswinford, Dudley, West Midlands, DY6 7LP Cory Environmental (Central) Ltd. Pending 
			 37 Pebsham Freshfields, Bexhill Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, Nr. Hastings, East Sussex, Tn38 8AY Biffa Waste Services Ltd. Pending 
			 38 Horton Horton Landfill Site, Small Dole, West Sussex, BN5 9XH Viridor Waste Management Ltd. Pending 
		
	
	The Environment Agency is in discussion with the major waste companies in England and Wales to seek to agree a way forward in the use of separate landfill cells as a key part of the solution for hazardous waste, following the co-disposal ban in July.

Home Energy Efficiency

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood have benefited from the Home Energy Efficiency and Warm Front Schemes.

Elliot Morley: The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 4,500 households in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood received assistance from the Scheme.

Landfill

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards implementing the European Union Landfill Directive; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: With the exception of an issue linked to the infraction proceedings on the exclusion of agricultural waste from national waste controls, all requirements of the Landfill Directive have been implemented in the whole of the UK. In line with usual procedures, the European Commission has been informed of this situation.

Landfill

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress on implementing the European Union Landfill Directive.

Elliot Morley: With the exception of an issue linked to the infraction proceedings on the exclusion of agricultural waste from national waste controls, all requirements of the Landfill Directive have been implemented in the whole of the UK. In line with usual procedures, the European Commission have been informed of this situation. In addition, for England and Wales, Regulations implementing Council Decision 2003/33/EC on waste acceptance criteria were laid before Parliament on 18 May. The Council Decision expands on the Landfill Directive's requirements and must be implemented in national law by 16 July 2004.

Landfill

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish a revised draft version of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (England) Regulations 2003; and when the final regulations will be laid before Parliament.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 19 May 2004
	The outcome of the consultation on the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme was published on the Defra website (www.Defra.gov.uk) on 11 May. The intention is to lay the Regulations before Parliament in early June.

Meat Production Subsidies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what her policy is on a reduction in subsidy level for meat production;
	(2)  when she will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 24 March, reference 164226, on subsidy levels.

Alun Michael: The CAP reform agreement decouples the bulk of subsidy from production, freeing up farmers to realign their businesses to meet market demands, not what subsidy regimes dictate.
	Breaking the link between subsidy and production also removes an incentive for farmers to maximise production and so reduces environmental damage from intensive farming such as over-use of pesticides and fertilizers. Through cross-compliance obligations, the agreement also makes subsidy dependent on farmers meeting certain EU environmental, food safety, plant and animal health and animal welfare standards as well as maintaining their land in good agricultural and environmental condition. More subsidy will also be diverted from production to wider rural development and environmental initiatives which farmers undertake.

Milk (Lancashire)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to retain milk processing facilities in Lancashire.

Alun Michael: The structure and location of dairy processing is a matter for individual dairy processing enterprises to determine in line with their business needs. There are currently over 100 dairy processing establishments in Lancashire, as well as many more in the adjoining counties.

Parliamentary Questions

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the Question tabled by the hon. Member for Croydon, South on 5 May, reference 171778, on energy efficiency.

Elliot Morley: I replied to the hon. Member on 25 May 2004, Official Report, column 1484W.

Pollution Control

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what functions local authorities discharge under the Local Authority Pollution Control Regime; and (a) what guidance her Department gives to and (b) what assessment she has made of the performance of local authorities in carrying out these functions.

Elliot Morley: Local authorities are responsible for regulating air emissions from some 17,000 industrial and other installations and regulating a wide range of environmental impacts from up to 1,000 industrial and other installations. These responsibilities involve deciding whether to issue permits to the specified installations and, if so, imposing conditions which represent the best available techniques to minimise pollution. As part of this, local authorities' functions include inspecting regulated premises and maintaining a public register.
	The Department issues statutory guidance on what constitutes the best available techniques for the different sectors regulated under these regimes. We are currently reviewing the 80 air pollution control guidance notes and have issue seven guidance notes for sectors regulated for wider impacts with three more in preparation. We published last year a detailed manual on policy and procedures for these regimes. In addition, guidance is issued as the need arises to address specific issues. Officials meet and speak regularly with local authority representative bodies and individual local authority officers to assess guidance needs.
	We commissioned an independent review of the performance of local authorities in implementing these regimes last autumn and published the report earlier this month which can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/lapc/performreview0304/index. htm. Officials will be meeting with local authority representative organisations to draw up a joint action plan in response to the review recommendations.

Private Sewers

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to report on the consultation process on the W. S. Atkins report about private sewers.

Elliot Morley: Since the consultation period ended, we have analysed responses and worked with stakeholders to identify the issues which will need to be resolved before a decision on the way forward can be made. We plan to publish a Government response to the consultation in early summer.

Recycling (Plastics)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much plastic per person was recycled in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) England in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Elliot Morley: The 200203 Municipal Waste Management Survey return completed by Shrewsbury and Atcham district council, showed no record of any collections of plastics from kerbside schemes, bring sites or private/voluntary schemes.
	The same 200203 Municipal Waste Management Survey for England shows that 3,742,000 tonnes of household waste was recycled or composted, 13,000 tonnes (or 0.347 per cent.) of which, was plastic. Per capita figures are not recorded.
	Although the figures are collected on a different basis, records show that in England, 170,915 tonnes of plastic packaging were recycled in 2003. Figures for recycling plastic packaging are not available by district council area.

Sea Walls (Essex)

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many miles of sea wall on the Essex coast have been improved in each of the last 20 years;
	(2)  what account is taken in calculating the cost of saltwater flooding of agricultural land of (a) the impact of saltwater on cropping, (b) the cost of gypsum, (c) the cost of digging out ditches and replacing drainage and (d) the cost of additional fertilisers and sprays;
	(3)  what estimated yield of wheat is used in calculating the land value for cost benefit analysis of the maintenance of sea walls in Essex;
	(4)  what the total cost is of (a) the Roach and Crouch Estuary Strategy study, (b) the Blackwater and Colne Estuary Strategy Study, (c) the Stour and Orwell Estuary Strategy Study, (d) the Coast Habitat Management Plan for Essex, (e) the Essex Shoreline Management Plan and (f) the Geomorphical Study for the Roach and Crouch Estuary.

Elliot Morley: The total length of seawalls in Essex is 275.6 miles (441km). A total of 63.77 miles has been raised and improved in the last 20 years. This equates to 23 per cent. of seawalls.
	The following table details from Environment Agency data how many miles of seawall on the Essex coast have been improved in each of the last 20 years.
	
		
			 Financial Year Length raised and improved (miles) 
		
		
			 198485 8.86 
			 198586 7.08 
			 198687 2.17 
			 198788 3.31 
			 198889 1.88 
			 198990 2.88 
			 199091 3.50 
			 199192 3.82 
			 199293 4.63 
			 199394 2.73 
			 199495 5.30 
			 199596 10.31 
			 199697 3.00 
			 199798 1.62 
			 199899 2.06 
			 199900 Nil 
			 200001 Nil 
			 200102 Nil 
			 200203 0.62 
			 200304 Nil 
			 Total 198485300304 63.77 
		
	
	Notes:
	Only lengths that have been raised to improve resistance to overtopping are included. Face protection schemes are not included.
	Maintenance repairs and drainage improvements are not included.
	The length protected by the Colne Barrier has been included as length improved although the walls themselves are not raised.
	The impact of saltwater flooding was considered in flood damage calculations. It was determined through the appraisal of the independent land valuation agent and through consultation with local land owners:
	For the application of gypsum to arable land in the first year following a flood event, a cost of 109 per hectare has been used in calculations.
	For desilting and digging out ditches in the first year following a flood event, a cost of 340 per hectare of arable land and grassland has been used in calculations.
	For replacing drainage in the first year following a flood event, a cost of 1,111 per hectare of arable land (assuming 100 per cent. drainage) and 555 per hectare of grassland (assuming 50 per cent. drainage) has been used in calculations.
	For additional fertilizers and sprays on arable land, a cost of 91 per acre of wheat land, and 85 per acre of oil seed rape land, has been used in calculations.
	For additional fertilizers and sprays on grassland, a cost of 59.50 per acre has been used in calculations. However, these costs for additional fertilizers and sprays are factored into calculations incrementally, and at different rates depending on the type of land under consideration. Four years after a hypothetical flood event on arable land, 25 per cent. of the fertiliser costs and 100 per cent. of the spray costs will have been factored in; whereas the same percentages will have been factored into calculations only two years after a hypothetical flood event on grassland.
	The estimated yield of wheat has not been used in calculating the land value. The land value has been calculated by an independent Essex-based land valuation agent based on the prices received during recent land sales.
	The yield of wheat has been used to calculate gross margins and flood damages and is dependent on the grade of arable land. The yield for poor/medium, good/heavy and good/ease working arable land, has been taken as 2.75, 3.50 and 3.62 tonnes per acre respectively.
	As to the costs of studies, the expected total cost of those referred to is 1,450,000, broken down as follows:
	Roach and Crouch Estuary Strategy study400,000. This includes an estimated 35,000 dedicated to the Geomorphological Study for the Roach and Crouch Estuary.
	Colne and Blackwater Estuary Strategy study400,000.
	Stour and Orwell Estuary Strategy Study350,000.
	The Coastal Habitat Management Plan (CHAMP) for Essex formed part of a package of seven other CHAMPs (Norfolk and Suffolk, East Kent etc.)the approximate cost for the Essex CHAMP was 50,000.
	Essex Shoreline Management Planapproximately 250,000.

Single Farm Payments

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments on the ability of (a) her Department, (b) other Government agencies and (c) other local authorities or voluntary agencies to enforce effective cross-compliance of payments with agri-environmental outcomes.

Alun Michael: Officials have identified a number of enforcement bodies that could undertake inspections for relevant parts of the Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions requirements. Officials are working closely with stakeholders and these bodies to identify how these requirements will be enforced, and to reduce the burden on farmers by, where possible, linking up with current inspection practices. Final decisions on cross compliance will be taken after careful consideration of responses to the current public consultation.

Single Farm Payments

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for redefining the moorland line for purposes of the single farm payment in areas where established hay meadows lie within the moorland zone.

Alun Michael: We are currently considering how to establish a system for dealing with representations against the position of the moorland line and will make an announcement as soon as possible.

Sir Don Curry

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the role of Sir Don Curry in ensuring new entrant initiatives in farming.

Alun Michael: Sir Don Curry is Chair of the independent Implementation Group that has been set up to oversee and drive forward delivery of the Government's Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy.
	As part of the Strategy, Defra has undertaken to discuss with interested stakeholders possible mechanisms to help overcome barriers to new entrants. Defra has also undertaken to work co-operatively with proposals from the NFU and the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs in respect of advice for new entrants and mechanisms to bring together new entrants and retiring farmers.
	In addition, to inform discussion of this issue, Defra has commissioned research on entry to and exit from farming in the United Kingdom, the results of which will be published in due course.

Two Tree Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what elements of possible contamination are leaching from the closed Two Tree Island landfill site; and in what volumes.

Elliot Morley: The Two Tree Island waste disposal site was used for landfill operations, reportedly from the 1930s until the 1980s. Investigations revealed that the site was tipped with domestic and industrial waste. Details of possible contamination and volumes of leachate are shown in the consultants' report submitted to Southend-on-Sea borough council in August 2003. As the report is owned by Southend-on-Sea borough council, queries regarding its content should be referred to the local authority.

Two Tree Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will measure contamination in leachate emanating from the closed Two Tree Island landfill site, after prolonged heavy rainfall.

Elliot Morley: Castle Point district council and South End borough council are responsible for monitoring any leachate from the Two Tree Island landfill site.

Waste Water

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has procured to establish the levels of residue from anti-depressant drugs in waste water which has passed through sewage-treatment plants.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 23 April 2004
	The Environment Agency carried out a desk based ranking exercise during 2003 on the 500 pharmaceuticals most commonly used in England and Wales in order to prioritise which ones may be of environmental significance.
	The top ranked antidepressant from the prioritisation exercise was lofepramine and this was included in a subsequent targeted monitoring survey carried out by the Environment Agency in association with the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS).
	The results of this monitoring programme are set out in the Research and Development Report P6012/6, Targeted Monitoring Programme for Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment. This report is in the public domain and will be made available to the Library of the House.
	The Environment agency has also developed a position statement on pharmaceuticals, which can be found on the Environment Agency's website www. environment-agency.gov.uk.

Water Charges

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with Ofwat on future water charges.

Elliot Morley: Ministers from this Department meet the Director General of Water Services from time to time to discuss water industry issues.
	The Director General has sole responsibility for setting price limits for the water industry.

Waterways

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has taken to ensure that strategic plans are prepared for each navigable canal or inland waterway; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The three Government-sponsored navigation authoritiesBritish Waterways, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authorityhave all prepared strategic plans for the management of their waterways in consultation with Defra. The Government encourages the smaller, independent navigation authorities to prepare similar plans for their waterways.

TREASURY

Customs and Excise

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Excise investigators there (a) were immediately prior to July 2003 and (b) have been since July 2003.

John Healey: As Mr. Justice Butterfield reported In his Review of Criminal Investigation and Prosecutions Conducted by HM Customs and Excise, published in July 2003, Customs had about 2,500 investigators in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. At the end of April 2004, Customs had around 2,400 investigators, although fluctuations in headcount can result from the movement of investigation staff internally, into and out of Intelligence disciplines, and externally to and from other agencies.

Customs and Excise

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many hours of refresher training Customs and Excise investigators (a) were scheduled to receive prior to July 2003 and (b) have been scheduled to receive since July 2003;
	(2)  how many Customs and Excise investigators (a) completed refresher training in each of the three years prior to July 2003 and (b) have completed such training since July 2003.

John Healey: While praising some aspects of their training for investigators, Mr. Justice Butterfield identified in his Review of Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions Conducted by HM Customs and Excise that Customs did not have in place a planned programme of refresher training. When his review was published on 15 July 2003, I announced that the Government had accepted his recommendation that such a programme should be developed, along with his other recommendations for Customs' Law Enforcement service.
	Since then, Customs have developed a full refresher training programme, comprising seven modules lasting a total of 167 hours, which they are subjecting to external accreditation through the national training organisation, Skills for Justice. Delivery of this training began in March 2004, and over 300 investigators will complete this programme each year.

Customs and Excise

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what procedures have been introduced since July 2003 to handle and manage human sources in Customs and Excise investigations;
	(2)  what procedures have been implemented since July 2003 to ensure that Customs and Excise personnel retain adequate records when dealing with sources in Customs and Excise investigations.

John Healey: Following Mr. Justice Butterfield's Review of Criminal Investigations and Prosecution Conducted by HM Customs and Excise, published on 15 July 2003, Customs and Excise introduced a new policy for dealing with the receipt and management of information from human sources, which came into operation on 1 September 2003. 'HumInt' is the generic term applied to all persons who give information to Customs relating to a possible criminal offence, including any offences that may ultimately be dealt with under 'civil' provisions, or any regulatory breach. Customs' HumInt policy is outlined in general terms in paragraphs 10.88 onwards of the Butterfield review.
	The HumInt policy requires all officers of Customs and Excise, not just investigators, on receipt of information from a HumInt to record and retain the information in a durable and retrievable format and to lodge both the details of the HumInt and the information with a central unit. That unit, is responsible for creating an electronic central register both of the HumInt and of the information received. It is also responsible for assessing the information received to decide on categorisation, handling and dissemination requirements.
	The policy and the associated guidance have been promulgated to every officer in the Department through its intranet site, supported by an initial programme of awareness events. HumInt training modules are now incorporated in all core training across the Department. The HumInt policy includes direction and guidance regarding the material to be recorded and the need for retention in a durable and retrievable format of original notes in relation to dealings with HumInt. Compliance with the requirements of the HumInt policy forms an integral part of Customs' assurance programmes.

Employment (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)

Joan Humble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment was in each year since 1997 in Blackpool, North and Fleetwood.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Joan Humble, dated 7 June 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment. I am replying in his absence. (176400)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation definitions. However, the LFS sample size is too small to give reliable estimates of unemployment in the Blackpool North  Fleetwood Constituency.
	ONS also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas including parliamentary constituencies.
	The table below gives the annual average number of JSA claimants for the Blackpool North  Fleetwood constituency for each year since 1997.
	
		JSA claimants in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituencyannual averages 1997 to 2003
		
			  Average annual claimants 
		
		
			 1997 2,489 
			 1998 2,092 
			 1999 1,913 
			 2000 1,807 
			 2001 1,701 
			 2002 1,493 
			 2003 1,365

EU Budget

Richard Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average net contributions of each EU member state to the EU budget since 1995.

Ruth Kelly: Based on data published by the European Commission, the indicative net contributions of each member state over the period 1995 to 2002, the latest year for which information is currently available, are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Member state Average net contribution 1995 to 2002 ( million) 
		
		
			 Belgium -1,120.0 
			 Denmark 37.1 
			 Germany 10,330.8 
			 Greece -4,038.7 
			 Spain -6,617.4 
			 France 1,446.8 
			 Ireland -1,904.8 
			 Italy 1,467.6 
			 Luxembourg -712.0 
			 The Netherlands 2,845.5 
			 Austria 625.5 
			 Portugal -2,499.6 
			 Finland 57.4 
			 Sweden 1,051.4 
			 United Kingdom 3,878.2 
		
	
	Note:
	A minus sign indicates a net beneficiary.
	Source:
	Based on information on member states' contributions and receipts published in European Commission Reports on the allocation of EU operating expenditure.

Alf Allington Informant Record

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 May 2004, Official Report, column 146W, on Customs and Excise, whether the receipt of the copy of the general briefing about the review of the London City Bond-related cases was the first occasion on which the Economic Secretary was informed of the existence of the Alf Allington informant record.

John Healey: Yes.

Education Spending

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures the Office of National Statistics uses to measure the productivity of education spending.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 4 May 2004
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 7 June 2004
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what measures the Office of National Statistics uses to measure the productivity of education spending. (170727)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published an indicative estimate of productivity change for government as a whole in an article in Economic Trends, July 2003. At present, this estimate does not meet all the criteria to be a National Statistic and was published as an experimental statistic rather than a regular series.
	ONS has also stated that a productivity analysis would be published at function level as soon as the quality of the data warrant it. That point has not yet been reached. As a result, ONS does not yet publish a measure of education productivity.
	ONS recognises that in recent years there have been increased demands on, and expectations of, measures of government output. The Atkinson Review was set up in December 2003 to advance methodologies in measuring government activities, including productivity. It is due to produce a preliminary report in July 2004 and a final report by January 2005.

Government Expenditure (Wales)

Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total Government expenditure on Wales was through (a) the Welsh Block and (b) other funding streams in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Boateng: Identifiable public spending by function, region and country is published annually in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. Table 8.14 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2004 (Cm 6201) shows a functional breakdown for identifiable expenditure in Wales for 200203, the latest year for which data are available, apportioned between the National Assembly for Wales, local authorities and UK Government Departments. Data on identifiable spending in Wales for previous years are published in previous editions of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.

Greenhouse Gases Statistics

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason statistics relating to increases in greenhouse gases from the transport sector were removed from the recent Office of National Statistics report on the environment.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Norman Baker, dated 7 June 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question on the removal of information from the ONS Environmental Accounts (177225).
	The information on greenhouse gas emissions from transport were not removed from the ONS Environmental Accounts report published on 20 May 2004. The report was never altered from the version originally prepared by professional statisticians within ONS, and is publicly available on the National Statistics website.
	The focus of the accompanying News Release changed during drafting, as there were some unresolved statistical concerns over the reconciliation of road freight emissions figures using alternative definitions. Given these concerns, it was decided that it would not be appropriate for the News Release to focus upon transport emissions as had been intended. This decision was taken independently by senior government statisticians, as a matter of professional judgement.
	The circumstances surrounding this decision are explained in a letter that I sent to David Rowlands (Permanent Secretary of the Department for Transport) on 28 May. This letter is available on the website of the Statistics Commission at: http://www. statscom.org.uk/media pdfs/correspondence/letter0189.pdf

Greenhouse Gases Statistics

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he takes to ensure that his policy that reports produced by the Office for National Statistics are not subject to political interference is upheld in respect of representations from the Department for Transport.

Ruth Kelly: Reports produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are not subject to political interference. All statistics published by ONS are prepared in accordance with the Framework for National Statistics, published in June 2000. This places an obligation on official statisticians:
	to improve public confidence in official statistics by demonstrating that they are free from political interference.
	As the Minister responsible for National Statistics, I fully support the principles set out in the 'Framework' document.
	The final responsibility for the content form and timing of the publication of National Statistics, for which the ONS is responsible for, is the Director of ONS. Were Ministers to be consulted by him on any such matters, which is rare, then it would be through the National Statistics protocol on consultation.
	ONS publishes some statistics where the components draw on the expertise of statisticians from the Government Statistical Service, who work in other Departments. It is not unusual for them to be asked to review how statistics that they have expertise in will be reported. These statisticians operate under the National Statistics Code of Practise.
	The National Statistician, who is Director of the ONS, has released his own correspondence confirming that it was the advice of a senior statistician in the Transport Department which led to his senior staff deciding to change the press release which summarised the content of the Environmental Account being published by ONS. No changes were made to the substantive reports as a result of this exchange. Both the published and withdrawn versions are discoverable.
	The assertion that ONS has been subject to political interference is contradicted by the very process applied by ONS.

Legal Aid

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is towards the payment of money from public funds in satisfaction of an award of legal aid to an individual (a) who appears on the UN list of suspected terrorists and (b) whose assets in the UK have been frozen pursuant to a decision of the G7 on the grounds that the individual is suspected of terrorism; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 28 April 2004
	The Government considers all such applications in line with its international obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1452, and EC regulation 881/2002, which enforces that Resolution in the EU.

Military Support Vehicles

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the value to the UK economy of the Ministry of Defence contract for the manufacture and supply of military support vehicles.

Paul Boateng: The MOD is carefully evaluating the tenders submitted on the support vehicle programme. The Defence Secretary will consult me and other colleagues when this evaluation is complete. In line with our Defence Industrial Policy, the way forward on the project will be informed by a number of factors, including value for money for the armed forces, affordability and the wider economy of the UK.

Ministerial Visits

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list visits made by each Minister in the Department between December 2003 and April 2004, broken down by (a) date, (b) constituency visited and (c) cost.

Ruth Kelly: The Government publishes on an annual basis the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500. Information for 200304 is currently being collected will be published as soon as it is ready. Domestic visits on official departmental business between December 2003 and April 2004 are listed in the following table.
	All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.
	
		
			 Date Constituency Cost () 
		
		
			 Chancellor of the Exchequer 
			 18 March 2004 North East Milton Keynes 26 
			 26 March 2004 Manchester, Central 321 
			 5 April 2004 Poplar and Canning Town No cost 
			 Chief Secretary to the Treasury 
			 15 December 2003 Holborn and St. Pancras No cost 
			 18 December 2003 West Ham No cost 
			 1112 January 2004 Warrington South, Preston 817 
			 2527 January 2004 West Aberdeen and Kincardine;  Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh 1,477 
			 89 February 2004 Belfast, East, Belfast, South 586 
			 16 April 2004 Dover 46 
			 1819 April 2004 Blaenau Gwent; Islwyn 470 
			 2526 April 04 Copeland 534 
			 Financial Secretary to the Treasury 
			 11 December 2003 Stafford 374 
			 Economic Secretary to the Treasury 
			 15 December 2003 City of Durham 479 
			 29 January 2004 Leeds, Central 405 
			 23 February 2004 Dumbarton; Clydebank and Milngavie 728 
			 8 March 2004 Selby 452 
			 Paymaster General 
			 13 January 2004 Cities of London and Westminster No cost 
			 1920 January 2004 Aberdeen, Central 1,110

Mortality Statistics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of deaths were due to (a) respiratory disease, (b) heart disease and (c) cancer in each of the last three years.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mrs. Iris Robinson, dated 7 June 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of deaths were due to (a) respiratory disease, (b) heart disease and (c) cancer in each of the last three years. I am replying in his absence. (176882)
	The latest year for which data are available is 2002. Figures for all respiratory diseases, all circulatory diseases including ischaemic heart disease (otherwise known as coronary heart disease), and cancer are shown in the attached table for each year from 2000 to 2002.
	
		Percentage of all deaths per calendar year by underlying cause of death(61) and total number of deaths, England and Wales, 2000 to 2002(62) -- Percent, number of deaths
		
			 Calendar year 2000 2001(63) 2002(63) 
		
		
			 (a) Respiratory diseases 17.3 72.7 13.1 
			 Circulatory diseases including 38.7 39.9 39.3 
			 (b) Ischaemic heart disease 20.2 20.0 19.3 
			 (c) Cancer 25.2 26.2 26.3 
			 All deaths (=100 per cent.) 535,664 530,373 533,527 
		
	
	(61) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the year 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 and 2002.
	The codes used are listed:
	Diseases of the respiratory systemICD-9 460519; ICD-10 J00-J99
	Diseases of the circulatory systemICD-9 390459; ICD-10 I00-I99;
	Ischaemic heart diseaseICD-9 410414; ICD-10120125;
	Neoplasm'sICD-9 140239; ICD-10 C00-D48.
	(62) Figures are based on deaths occurring in each calendar year.
	(63) The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in 2001 means that data for respiratory diseases, circulatory diseases and cancer are not completely comparable with data for years before this date. The data should therefore be interpreted with caution. The effect of the change in classification in 2001 on deaths from these causes is described in a report published in May 2002 and a more detailed analysis of the impact of ICD-10 in trends in circulatory disease mortality was published in May 2004.
	Sources:
	Office for National Statistics. Results of the ICD-10 bridge coding study, England and Wales, 1999. Health Statistics Quarterly 14 (2002), 7583. Griffiths C, Brock A, Rooney C (2004). The impact of introducing ICD-10 on trends in mortality from circulatory diseases in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 22, 1420.

Office of Government Commerce

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the Office of Government Commerce Gateway Reviews conducted since January 2001, (b) the dates on which the reviews were completed and (c) further consequential Office of Government Commerce Gateway appraisals.

Paul Boateng: A list of OGC Gateway Reviews, conducted since 1 January 2001 and the dates on which each review was completed, excluding those projects associated with the security services (which fall within the scope of Exemption 1 (a) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information) has been placed in the Library of the House.

Pensions

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the rules relating to the purchase of annuities.

Ruth Kelly: The Government intend to retain the requirement for pension schemes to secure their retirement benefits once a member reaches age 75.
	But, as part of the simplification of the pension tax rules, the Government are proposing to make the annuity rules more flexible allowing new innovative products to be developed such as limited period annuities and value protected annuities.
	Also, for those people who object to annuities due to their religious beliefs, the Government are proposing to introduce an alternative way of providing an income for lifean Alternatively Secured Pension (ASP).

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Departmental Administration Budget

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in the Department's administration budget by 2008, announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 331.

David Lammy: The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the public spending settlements for 200608 to be announced in detail later this year.

Freedom of Information

Llew Smith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what decisions he has reached on the appropriate charging regime for requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Christopher Leslie: The Government published draft Freedom of Information fees regulations in 2000. No decision has been taken to alter these. An advisory group comprising of internal and external stakeholders is looking at options and is due to report before summer recess and a decision will be made before October. Final regulations will be brought forward by the Government in time for being in effect on 1 January 2005.

Gender Pay Gap

John Denham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the pay gap between men and women employed by his Department and its agencies in (a) Southampton, (b) Eastleigh, (c) Winchester and (d) Romsey.

David Lammy: In response to the Equal Opportunities Task Force report Just Pay, my Department undertook a review of equal pay in 200203 and drew up an action plan to address any unjustified equal pay gaps.
	The review did not find significant gender pay gaps and the action plan set out proposals for reducing those gaps that were exposed. The review examined the position across the Department as a whole and did not make an assessment by individual location.

Gender Recognition Bill

Lady Hermon: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs for what reasons the provisions of the Gender Recognition Bill were extended to Northern Ireland by primary legislation rather than by way of Order in Council; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Government are of the view that transsexual people across the UK should be entitled to apply for legal recognition in their acquired gender. The judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in Goodwin v. the UK and I v. the UK require nothing less.
	In view of this the Government decided that a UK-wide approach to legislating in this area was appropriate, and the Government consulted widely in the Province, as in the rest of the UK, before legislating.

Judicial Bodies

John Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the dialogue between the Judicial Studies Board and the Sentencing Advisory Council.

Christopher Leslie: The Secretary of State is satisfied with the arrangements for dialogue between the Judicial Studies Board and the Sentencing Guidelines Council. We have recognised the importance of the link between the Sentencing Guidelines Council and the Judicial Studies Board by ensuring that the Chair of the Judicial Studies Board's Criminal Committee is ex officio a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Council. In addition there is regular contact between officials of the Judicial Studies Board and the Sentencing Guidelines Council.

Magistrates

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average age of (a) male and (b) female magistrates in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Lancashire and (d) each Lancashire district is; and what the highest age of a magistrate is in each area.

Christopher Leslie: This information is not accurately available in the format requested. We are able to provide numbers of magistrates within age bands in:
	(a) England (including the Duchy of Lancaster comprising the counties of Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, and where magistrates' appointments are the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Duchy):
	to age 30: 22 magistrates
	3039: 968 magistrates
	4049: 4377 magistrates
	5054: 4401 magistrates
	5559: 7343 magistrates
	6065: 7004 magistrates
	66+: 2663 magistrates
	(b) The North West. This region comprises Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria:
	to age 30: 8 magistrates
	3039: 139 magistrates
	4049: 752 magistrates
	5054: 769 magistrates
	5559: 1281 magistrates
	6065: 1272 magistrates
	66+: 520 magistrates
	(c) Lancashire
	to age 30: 1 male, 2 female magistrates
	3039: 12 male, 17 female magistrates
	4049: 91 male, 89 female magistrates
	5054: 76 male, 94 female magistrates
	5559: 166 male, 155 female magistrates
	6065: 188 male, 118 female magistrates
	66+: 80 male, 51 female magistrates
	(d) Each Lancashire district Blackburn, Darwen and RV
	to age 30: 0 male, 1 female magistrates
	3039: 5 male, 3 female magistrates
	4049: 15 male, 8 female magistrates
	5054: 10 male, 12 female magistrates
	5559: 24 male, 14 female magistrates
	6065: 25 male, 23 female magistrates
	66+: 12 male, 4 female magistrates
	Blackpool and Fylde
	to age 30: 0 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039: 0 male, 3 female magistrates
	4049: 17 male, 14 female magistrates
	5054:13 male, 14 female magistrates
	5559: 22 male, 35 female magistrates
	6065: 28 male, 11 female magistrates
	66+: 9 male, 7 female magistrates
	Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale
	to age 30: 0 male, 1 female magistrates
	3039: 2 male, 2 female magistrates
	4049:14 male, 14 female magistrates
	5054: 13 male, 21 female magistrates
	5559: 32 male, 16 female magistrates
	6065: 30 male, 22 female magistrates
	66+: 10 male, 11 female magistrates
	Chorley
	to age 30: 0 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039: 0 male, 1 female magistrates
	4049: 3 male, 3 female magistrates
	5054: 2 male, 8 female magistrates
	5559: 14 male, 13 female magistrates
	6065: 17 male, 8 femate magistrates
	66+: 1 male, 3 female magistrates
	Hyndburn
	to age 30: 0 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039: 2 male, 0 female magistrates
	4049: 13 male, 2 female magistrates
	5054: 4 male, 2 female magistrates
	5559: 7 male, 13 female magistrates
	6065: 7 male, 6 female magistrates
	66+: 9 male, 2 female magistrates
	Lancaster
	to age 30: 0 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039: 1 male, 0 female magistrates
	4049: 7 male, 13 female magistrates
	5054: 7 male, 9 female magistrates
	5559: 16 male, 20 female magistrates
	6065: 20 male, 21 female magistrates
	66+: 7 male, 8 female magistrates
	Ormskirk
	to age 30: 1 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039; 0 male, 1 female magistrates
	4049: 4 male, 4 female magistrates
	5054: 3 male, 6 female magistrates
	5559: 5 male, 12 female magistrates
	6065: 11 male, 6 female magistrates
	66+: 8 male, 3 female magistrates
	Preston
	to age 30: 0 male, 2 female magistrates
	4049: 11 male, 16 female magistrates
	5054: 16 male, 14 female magistrates
	5559: 26 male, 15 female magistrates
	6065: 29 male, 11 female magistrates
	66+: 15 male, 2 female magistrates
	South Ribble
	to age 30: 0 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039: 0 male, 3 female magistrates
	4049: 3 male, 4 female magistrates
	5054: 6 male, 4 female magistrates
	5559: 5 male, 10 female magistrates
	6065: 11 male, 5 female magistrates
	66+: 6 male, 6 female magistrates
	Wyre
	to age 30: 0 male, 0 female magistrates
	3039: 2 male, 2 female magistrates
	4049: 4 male, 11 female magistrates
	5054: 4 male, 4 female magistrates
	5559: 15 male, 7 female magistrates
	6065: 10 male, 5 female magistrates
	66+: 3 male, 5 female magistrates
	All magistrates are transferred to the Supplemental List on reaching the age of 70.

Magistrates

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates are members of political parties, broken down by party, in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) Lancashire and (d) each Lancashire district.

Christopher Leslie: A record is not kept of membership of political parties.
	Magistrates were asked to disclose political affiliation until earlier this year, at which point the numbers broken down by party were:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 (a) England  
			 Conservative 8,806 
			 Labour 6,804 
			 Liberal Democrat 3,401 
			 Uncommitted 5,542 
			 Other 1,449 
			   
			 (b) The North West (comprising Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria) 
			 Conservative 1,249 
			 Labour 1,291 
			 Liberal Democrat 535 
			 Uncommitted 1,423 
			 Other 182 
			   
			 (c) Lancashire  
			 Conservative 292 
			 Labour 292 
			 Liberal Democrat 90 
			 Uncommitted 385 
			 Other 83 
			   
			 (d) Each Lancashire district Blackburn, Darwen and RV  
			 Conservative 41 
			 Labour 36 
			 Liberal Democrat 12 
			 Uncommitted 56 
			 Other 11 
			   
			 Blackpool and Fylde  
			 Conservative 47 
			 Labour 38 
			 Liberal Democrat 15 
			 Uncommitted 69 
			 Other 4 
			   
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale  
			 Conservative 53 
			 Labour 38 
			 Liberal Democrat 14 
			 Uncommitted 64 
			 Other 19 
			   
			 Chorley  
			 Conservative 20 
			 Labour 20 
			 Liberal Democrat 8 
			 Uncommitted 22 
			 Other 3 
			   
			 Hyndburn  
			 Conservative 18 
			 Labour 16 
			 Liberal Democrat 7 
			 Uncommitted 17 
			 Other 9 
			 Lancaster  
			 Conservative 28 
			 Labour 38 
			 Liberal Democrat 15 
			 Uncommitted 38 
			 Other 10 
			   
			 Ormskirk  
			 Conservative 20 
			 Labour 18 
			 Liberal Democrat 1 
			 Uncommitted 18 
			 Other 7 
			   
			 Preston  
			 Conservative 32 
			 Labour 37 
			 Liberal Democrat 11 
			 Uncommitted 60 
			 Other 17 
			   
			 South Ribble  
			 Conservative 19 
			 Labour 24 
			 Liberal Democrat 4 
			 Uncommitted 13 
			 Other 3 
			   
			 Wyre  
			 Conservative 14 
			 Labour 27 
			 Liberal Democrat 3 
			 Uncommitted 28 
			 Other 0

Postal Votes

John Barrett: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people registered for a permanent postal vote in each year since 1997.

Christopher Leslie: Individual Electoral Registration Officers keep records of the number of postal voters in their registration area, though separate records are not kept of long-term postal voters and those for one election only. It is possible to apply for a postal vote at any time, but figures are not maintained on a yearly basis. Available statistics show that at the 2001 general election, 1,758,055 postal votes were issued in total, compared to 937,205 at the 1997 general election.

Postal Votes

George Osborne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on the all-postal European and local election ballot in the North West of England of the delay in printing ballot packs; what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission about the delay; what information he has sent to returning officers; and what contingency plans are in place should the ballot packs not be available in time.

Christopher Leslie: My officials and I have been working very closely with returning officers, suppliers and the Royal Mail to ensure that the ballot packs were delivered in a timely manner in the four all-postal regions. Although there were delays with the production of ballot packs for a few local authorities in the North West, I am pleased that full issue to the Royal Mail occurred within a few hours of the target deadline. There is no need to implement any further contingency arrangements. The Electoral Commission has been kept informed of developments by my officials, in order to inform their evaluation.

Postal Votes

Tim Boswell: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will instruct electoral returning officers in postal pilot regions to log (a) the total number of ballot paper envelopes received after the close of polls and (b) the postmarks on such envelopes.

Christopher Leslie: Given that the Electoral Commission evaluation will include a statement of the number of ballot papers received in the period of a week after the close of poll, I have no plans to make any further such request of Returning Officers. There is no requirement for ballot pack envelopes to have postmarks on them as they are returned in prepaid envelopes.

Postal Votes

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have registered for a permanent postal vote in (a) Surrey and (b) South West Surrey constituency in each year from 1996.

Christopher Leslie: Individual Electoral Registration Officers keep records of the number of postal voters in their registration area, though separate records are not kept of long-term postal voters and those for one election only. It is possible to apply for a postal vote at any time, but figures are not maintained on a yearly basis. However, the following information is available for the 1997 and 2001 general elections:
	
		Total number of postal voters
		
			  1997 2001 
		
		
			 Surrey 17,987 31,021 
			 South West Surrey 2,436 3,462 
		
	
	In addition, the Electoral Registration Officer for Waverley borough council has advised that there are currently 9,255 registered postal voters in South West Surrey constituency.

Postal Votes

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will invite electoral returning officers in Surrey (a) to log and (b) to report on (i) the total number of ballot paper envelopes received late and (ii) the distribution of dates on post marks.

Christopher Leslie: I have no plans at present to invite Surrey Returning Officers to make such reports. There is no provision in law for me to do so.

Youth Disorder

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what review has been undertaken of the use of four-month detention and training orders as provided for under the powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in relation to dealing with disorder amongst young people.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	The detention and training order is the main custodial sentence for 1217 year olds: the minimum term is four months and the maximum 24 months. Time spent in custody is followed by an equivalent period in the community.
	The DTO is one of a range of options available to courts dealing with young offenders. Most disorder offences would not normally attract custody: the tests for the court are whether the offence or offences in question are so serious that a custodial sentence is the only adequate response; or, where an offence is violent or sexual, whether custody is necessary to protect the public from serious harm from the offender.
	Research commissioned by the Youth Justice Board on the first two years' operation of the DTO found that, in the main, the combination of custody and community supervision worked well. It concluded that greater co-operation across the youth justice system would help to meet the needs of DTO trainees, including the need to prevent reoffending. The Youth Justice Board is addressing this.
	Following consultation in its 8 September 2003 paper Youth JusticeThe Next Steps, the Government proposes to keep the DTO and simplify the range of available community sentences . We also intend to introduce a new Intensive Supervision and Surveillance order for use with serious and persistent young offenders.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Action on Debt Booklet

Mark Prisk: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many copies of the Action on Debt booklet produced by the Social Exclusion Unit have been printed;
	(2)  what the total cost was of (a) publishing, (b) printing and (c) distributing the Action on Debt booklet produced by the Social Exclusion Unit;
	(3)  how many civil servants were employed in publishing the Action on Debt booklet produced by the Social Exclusion Unit.

Yvette Cooper: The Action on Debt fact pack is available on the web and 12,000 hard copies were printed. The publication costs were 9,898; the printing costs were 3,805; and the initial distribution cost was 3,240 (all figures excluding VAT). The costs of further mailing in response to requests are not identified separately from other Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's publications.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that the production of the fact pack absorbed around 0.5 full-time equivalent civil servants over a period of three months, with a small amount of additional specialist support e.g. on design. The fact pack is part of the developing cross-Government strategy on over-indebtedness. It is a practical guide to what organisations in a range of sectors can do to tackle debt problems and highlights in particular the cost-effectiveness of early intervention.

Affordable Housing

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department's projections are for the demand for affordable housing in Greater London for each of the next five years; and what estimate he has made of the public subsidy which will be required to meet that demand in each year.

Keith Hill: The Mayor of London's Plan states that an additional 22,400 households a year of all types will need to be accommodated in London over the next 15 years. In addition there is a backlog of unmet need of 112,000 households. The London Housing Board has begun the preparation of the next long-term housing strategy for the capital to cover the period up to 2016. This will take account of the detailed housing requirements study the Greater London Authority is currently carrying out. On 21 October last year my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced 2.1 billion for investment in housing in London for the next two years. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister also made an announcement on 24 March 2004 about the Housing Corporation's Annual Development Programme for affordable housing in the capital for 200405 and 200506.

Affordable Housing

Mark Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to provide additional resources for affordable housing in those parts of the South East where housing is least affordable.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has set out in the Sustainable Communities Plan proposals to tackle the supply of affordable housing.
	5 billion is being invested in housing over the next two years (200406) and of this over 730 million is targeted at the South East region. The role of the regions has been strengthened to ensure this investment is more effectively targeted towards local and regional investment priorities; with Regional Housing Boards advising Ministers on the priorities for investment within the region through their Regional Housing Strategies.
	The Government have accepted that there is a case for increased investment in social housing and has said it will begin to address this in the 2004 Spending Review.

Borrowing (Assets)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when councils will be allowed to borrow against their assets in the same way as housing associations.

Keith Hill: Local housing authorities may not borrow against housing assets because if they were to default on the loan repayment, it could result in the lender taking control of local authority housing stock, which is unacceptable. There are no plans to change this rule.

Bridlington Council (Rates)

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the implications of Bridlington council charging 90 per cent. second home rateable value for wooden chalets.

Nick Raynsford: Council tax is payable on a daily basis. If a dwelling is no one's sole or main residence and is substantially unfurnished it is exempt from council tax for a period of up to six months. A dwelling which is furnished and is no one's sole or main residence is subject to council tax at a discounted rate. From the financial year 200405, the Government have given local billing authorities the discretion to set the council tax discount offered on furnished unoccupied homes at any point between 10 per cent. and 50 per cent. This followed a consultation exercise in 2001 when there was overwhelming support for the idea of second homeowners paying full council tax on their second home. The regulations allow local authorities to differentiate between those properties which have a planning restriction preventing occupancy all year round and those which do not.
	It is up to local billing authorities to decide how to use this new freedom as the Government believe that they are best placed to make decisions on second homes discounts.

Business Rates (Respite Care)

Hilton Dawson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has made about the higher levels of business rates charged to the providers of respite care.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received no such representations.

Council Tax (Second Homes)

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he defines a seafront wooden chalet as a second home for the purposes of council tax liability.

Nick Raynsford: RA.229 in which 340 beach huts resting on a sand bank were found to be dwellings for the purpose of council tax and should be included separately in the valuation list. If a property is on the valuation list, the local billing authority will determine council tax liability.

Counterfeit Goods

Brian White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to ensure that local authority trading standards departments take action against people selling counterfeit goods.

Patricia Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
	Counterfeit goods are a serious threat to consumers, industry and the economy as a whole. Last year we introduced a number of very effective measures to help business tackle counterfeiting. For example we removed the restrictions on Customs passing information on counterfeit foods to Trading Standards Departments, and all Intellectual Property Right registration fees with Customs were abolished.
	The priorities for local authority trading standards departments are not uniform and will vary according to local circumstances. The National Performance Framework for Trading Standards introduced by my department in consultation with other government departments and the service recognises the need to ensure local services have scope to determine how to create a fair and safe trading environment taking into account local circumstances and local consumer and business expectations. The work of Trading Standards in combating the problem of counterfeit goods will be part of this framework.
	The Patent Office has also worked with the Trading Standards Institute to produce a new intellectual property module for the Diploma in Consumer Affairs. The Patent Office in conjunction with Trading Standards North West has developed an interactive CD package that guides trading standard's officers through the investigation process.

Departmental Annual Report

Norman Lamb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the production of his Department's latest annual report cost; how many copies were printed; how many copies of it were sold at its cover price; to whom copies of the report have been provided free of charge; and how many copies were provided free of charge.

Yvette Cooper: The latest available figures are those for the 2003 Annual Report published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in May 2003.
	704 copies of the 2003 Annual Report have been distributed in total. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister paid 16,400 for the design and production of the Report and the printing and distribution of 355 copies free of charge to MPs, various stakeholder groups and internally to officials within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. In addition the publisher, The Stationery Office Ltd. sold a further 349 copies.

Departmental Buildings

Howard Flight: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many buildings in England his Department owns that were used at less than 25 per cent. capacity for more than three months in 200304.

Yvette Cooper: The only buildings owned or leased by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which were used at less than 25 per cent. capacity for more than three months in 200304 were six buildings in the Eastern Region from which Government Office-based staff transferred to new premises. Since that time one of these offices has been sub-let, one has been two thirds let, one has been handed back to the landlord, two are in the process of being let and one remains on the market. Although the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has overall responsibility for Government Office East, the Government Offices carry out functions on behalf of ten Government Departments.
	Information relating to NDPB's with their own land holding powers could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Supporting People programme with respect to tackling domestic violence.

Yvette Cooper: Adults who have experienced domestic violence or who are at risk of domestic violence are one of the groups of people helped by the Supporting People programme. Administering local authorities research, plan and commission housing-related support services for vulnerable people, including the survivors of domestic violence. These services form part of the package of help which survivors need.

Energy Performance (Buildings)

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what studies he has commissioned of the policies being adopted by other EU member states concerning obligations on owners of larger privately-owned buildings to implement Article 7.3 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, with specific reference to the labelling of buildings open to the public.

Phil Hope: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 January, Official Report, column. 723W. In the period since then officials of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have enquired about other Member States' intentions on the labelling of buildings open to the public both at European Commission meetings and in informal contacts with officials in other States. There have been few clear signals, but the Commission has clarified the meaning of the Article, and more Member States are expected to announce their positions in the coming months.

Extra Care Housing

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding plans he has for the development of extra care sheltered housing.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	The development of extra care housing is being supported by 87 million made available for 200405 and 200506 through the extra care housing fund. The fund is run by the Department in partnership with the Housing Corporation, supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. 29 million has been allocated for 200405 to successful bids from 19 councils with social services responsibilities (CSSRs). This will create 1,532 additional extra care housing places, to be delivered through local partnerships with housing associations and other bodies.
	A further 17.7 million has been pre-allocated to five CSSRs for 200506.
	Bidding guidance and a timetable for bids for the remaining 40.3 million to be allocated for 200506 will be published shortly.

Fire and Rescue Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations he has held since January with Fire Service regional management boards.

Nick Raynsford: The target date for Fire and Rescue Authorities to establish Regional Management Boards (RMBs) was 1 April 2004, after the most recent consultationson Fire and Rescue Control Rooms and on Charging by Fire and Rescue Authoritieshad already commenced.
	However, as joint committees, Regional Management Boards do not directly account to the electorate for the performance of the fire and rescue service. This is the responsibility of their constituent Fire and Rescue Authorities, so the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will continue formally to consult the Authorities on Government proposals.

Fire and Rescue Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the legal status is of the Fire Service regional management boards.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister understands that, in accordance with the guidance issued by the Local Government Association in November 2003, Regional Management Boards have been established as joint committees under Sections 101 and 102 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Fire and Rescue Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress towards establishment of new negotiating machinery within the Fire and Rescue Service.

Nick Raynsford: The Pay and Conditions Agreement June 2003 between the Fire Brigades Union and the Local Government Employers stated that
	By 30th November 2003 a working group representative of fire service stakeholders will propose revisions to the Constitution of the NJC.
	The time-scale for the work was subsequently extended and a report from Rita Donaghy, chair of ACAS, recommending changes to the National Joint Council's constitution was published on 15 March. Negotiations on this are still continuing.

Fire and Rescue Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the merits of (a) giving statutory effect to section IX, paragraph 13 of the Fire and Rescue Service's Grey Book and (b) indemnifying firefighters for loss due to insurance policy exclusions in respect of terrorist incidents following death or injury on duty as methods of resolving the problem faced by firefighters whose insurance contains exclusions relating to activities which they may be required to perform in the course of their duties;
	(2)  if he will indemnify members of fire brigades within defined limits against failure by life or disability insurers to pay out on policies held by firefighters following death or injury on duty on the grounds of policy exclusions in respect of terrorist incidents.

Nick Raynsford: The Conditions of Service (Grey Book) agreed by the employing authorities and the Fire Brigades' Union provides in Section IX for compensation for death and serious injury on duty. This is no fault compensation and negligence does not have to be proved. It is not appropriate for this to remain as part of the Conditions of Service and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to bring these, together with injury benefits from the firefighters' pension scheme, into a separate death and injury scheme which will be made under clause 33 of the Fire and Rescue Services Bill.
	There are provisions within the Conditions of Service and the Firefighters' Pension Scheme that provide for awards in the event of injury or death either occurring in, or as a result of, the exercise of duty. Dependent on the circumstances of an individual, these can provide up to 85% of salary in the event of an injury curtailing earning capacity and up to seven times pensionable pay in the event of death. The latter is more generous than that available to any other public sector worker, including members of the Armed Forces.

Fire and Rescue Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his latest estimate is of the total cost of implementing the strategy of regional fire control rooms, including procurements, relocation and redundancy costs.

Nick Raynsford: The Mott MacDonald report on the Future of Fire and Rescue Service Control Rooms in England and Wales, published on 11 December 2003, includes estimates of both the number of posts that will no longer be required and redundancy costs. Copies were made available in the Library of the House.
	The estimated procurement cost is commercially sensitive information which cannot be released during the current procurement process. As sites for the regional control centres have not yet been chosen, relocation costs cannot yet be known.

Fire Safety

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what procedures are in place to consult stakeholders on the content of guidance proposed to support the implementation of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be producing guidance documents aimed at different sectors. In each case we will be consulting with representatives of the fire industry and the enforcers and with business interests relevant to the sector covered by the guidance document. Consultation will take place as each guide is developed.

Fire Safety

David Amess: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will introduce into the Building Regulations limitations on the generation of smoke and toxicity from construction materials;
	(2)  whether he proposes to retain compartmentation as the basis of fire protection in non-domestic buildings when Approved Document B to the Building Regulations is next reviewed;
	(3)  what plans he has to change the requirements for compartmentation fire protection in large warehouses in the next review of Approved Document B to the Building Regulations.

Phil Hope: The review of the fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations in England and Wales that is now under way is considering a broad range of issues, including those that the hon. Member has mentioned. Any decision in the future with regard to changes to Approved Document B would need to take account of a range of views, expert advice and of course a full Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA). The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects to be in a position to publish a detailed public consultation paper, including a supporting draft RIA, early in 2005.

Firelink Radio System

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to announce a decision on the selection of a contractor for the Firelink radio system.

Nick Raynsford: Contract award is expected in November 2004.

Former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions

Jim Cousins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which former officials of the former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions asked for permission to join (a) Pricewaterhouse Coopers, (b) Deloitte and Touche, (c) Ernst and Young and (d) KMPG.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not have any record of any application covering the organisations listed above for those former Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions officials who subsequently became Office Deputy Prime Minister officials.

Gender Pay Gap

John Denham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the pay gap between men and women employed by his Department and its agencies in (a) Southampton, (b) Eastleigh, (c) Winchester and (d) Romsey.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its agencies do not have offices in the areas referred to but my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has ministerial responsibility for Ordnance Survey (OS) which is a non-ministerial Government Department based in Southampton.
	Ordnance Survey undertook an Equal Pay Review in mid 2002 covering all aspects of the pay system. There were no significant issues to address but Ordnance Survey is continuing to monitor the situation.

High Hedges

Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the new legal provisions on high hedges will come into force.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Paice) on 18 May 2004, Official Report, column 843W.

Honours

Brian White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much time his Department spent dealing with honours in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by Civil Service grade.

Yvette Cooper: The majority of the work on honours is undertaken by the departmental honours team. Honours work in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is dealt with in a dedicated Honours Secretariat dealing with honours nominations for both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Transport. One HEO deals with Office of the Deputy Prime Minister matters full-time and a SEO and AO deal with matters arising for both Departments.
	
		Senior Civil Servants time spent on honours sift meetings
		
			  Total hours 
		
		
			 Grade 1 8 
			 Grade 2 18 
			 Grade 3 16 
			 Grade 6 2 
		
	
	Information is not available on time spent on honours related work by departmental staff who are not members of the Office's honours team or attendees of the formal sifting meetings.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the responses to his housing investment allowance proposals for council housing put forward in 2002.

Keith Hill: A copy of the summary of responses to the 2002 consultation paper, The Way Forward For Housing Capital Finance, has been made available in the Libraries of the House.

Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to increase financial support for affordable housing in Coventry.

Keith Hill: 7,421,916 has been allocated for housing in Coventry to fund 174 new dwellings of affordable housing for the period 2004 to 2006.
	The West Midlands Regional Housing Strategy is to be reviewed by early 2005. It will be underpinned by comprehensive research into the need for affordable housing in the region. This will inform future funding allocations.

Housing

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the level of housing revenue account debt for each local authority in England.

Keith Hill: The level of housing revenue account (HRA) debt for 200203, the latest year for which we have audited figures, for each authority with an HRA and with debt is tabled as follows:
	
		
			   
		
		
			 Adur 11,980,239 
			 Alnwick 9,718,380 
			 Amber Valley 11,492,297 
			 Arun 8,525,809 
			 Ashfield 28,138,261 
			 Ashford 7,853,942 
			 Babergh 5,481,723 
			 Barnet 28,707,962 
			 Barnsley 124,111,639 
			 Barrow 13,689,577 
			 Basildon 139,324,725 
			 Bassetlaw 30,504,371 
			 Birmingham 595,666,479 
			 Blaby 2,234,916 
			 Blackpool 21,294,853 
			 Blyth Valley 34,326,841 
			 Bolsover 14,138,688 
			 Bolton 114,678,451 
			 Bournemouth 18,166,931 
			 Bradford 170,311,867 
			 Braintree 8,087,328 
			 Brent 259,863,909 
			 Brentwood 848,458 
			 Brighton and Hove 103,650,315 
			 Bristol 192,398,196 
			 Broxbourne 4,277,758 
			 Broxtowe 8,810,051 
			 Bury 23,600,492 
			 Cambridge 5,208,820 
			 Camden 457,183,667 
			 Cannock Chase 26,679,398 
			 Canterbury 7,565,000 
			 Caradon 5,430,510 
			 Carlisle 20,606,585 
			 Carrick 1,188,690 
			 Castle Morpeth 15,209,780 
			 Charnwood 3,608,781 
			 Chesterfield 32,033,259 
			 Chester-le-Street 18,897,309 
			 Chorley 7,331,821 
			 City of London 13,266,865 
			 City of York 23,519,361 
			 Colchester 27,488,524 
			 Copeland 13,890,484 
			 Corby 1,761,802 
			 Craven 1,143,178 
			 Crewe 13,163,332 
			 Croydon 84,012,395 
			 Darlington 29,374,951 
			 Derby 107,807,650 
			 Derwentside 40,149,865 
			 Doncaster 128,691,137 
			 Dudley 77,545,051 
			 Durham 25,341,465 
			 Ealing 145,262,396 
			 Easington 60,677,693 
			 East Riding 6,211,562 
			 East Stafford 2,879,961 
			 Eastbourne 30,344,628 
			 Ellesmere Port 14,126,800 
			 Enfield 65,684,818 
			 Fareham 5,887,470 
			 Fenland 9,168,568 
			 Forest of Dean 3,453,384 
			 Gateshead 111,585,221 
			 Gloucester 21,475,448 
			 Gosport 3,080,297 
			 Gravesham 6,272,160 
			 Great Yarmouth 21,490,585 
			 Greenwich 392,352,770 
			 Guildford 2,766,263 
			 Hackney 604,104,213 
			 Halton 26,804,163 
			 Hammersmith 205,711,402 
			 Harborough 3,487,513 
			 Haringey 391,956,681 
			 Harrogate 7,968,684 
			 Harrow 32,764,732 
			 Hartlepool 57,621,117 
			 Havering 9,603,622 
			 Herefordshire 8,839,288 
			 High Peak 15,020,224 
			 Hillingdon 25,810,833 
			 Hinckley 1,094,273 
			 Hounslow 150,040,088 
			 Hyndburn 24,310,543 
			 Ipswich 40,180,414 
			 Isles of Scilly 553,925 
			 Islington 648,599,804 
			 Kensington 125,222,717 
			 Kettering 4,485,944 
			 Kings Lynn 16,540,894 
			 Kingston Upon Hull 211,439,691 
			 Kingston upon Thames 15,472,165 
			 Kirklees 124,930,562 
			 Knowsley 127,858,660 
			 Lambeth 580,400,757 
			 Lancaster 20,538,606 
			 Leeds 369,981,780 
			 Leicester 182,473,632 
			 Lewes 13,730,655 
			 Lewisham 378,302,773 
			 Lincoln 32,497,281 
			 Liverpool 545,233,243 
			 Luton 28,366,330 
			 Maidstone 12,484,329 
			 Manchester 755,262,765 
			 Mansfield 44,429,488 
			 Medway Towns 18,437,478 
			 Melton 3,709,727 
			 Merton 8,756,390 
			 Mid Devon 5,770,637 
			 Mid Suffolk 17,784,743 
			 Middlesbrough 96,288,162 
			 Milton Keynes 91,510,405 
			 NE Derbyshire 32,179,855 
			 New Forest 9,805,772 
			 Newark 21,239,654 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 291,513,082 
			 Newham 415,928,280 
			 North Cornwall 5,472,259 
			 North East Linc. 46,344,741 
			 North Kesteven 16,731,499 
			 North Lincoln 31,749,110 
			 North Norfolk 15,447,810 
			 North Shropshire 2,609,437 
			 North Tyneside 128,414,714 
			 North Warwick 4,275,412 
			 Northampton 10,243,355 
			 Norwich 69,631,073 
			 Nottingham 229,363,937 
			 Nuneaton 14,256,521 
			 NW Leicester 10,887,278 
			 Oadby and Wigston 1,640,954 
			 Oldham 131,958,003 
			 Oswestry 4,117,708 
			 Oxford City 26,067,542 
			 Pendle 9,411,335 
			 Peterborough 38,748,910 
			 Plymouth 77,932,220 
			 Poole 6,423,208 
			 Portsmouth 49,467,918 
			 Preston 47,509,366 
			 Purbeck 6,486,383 
			 Reading 50,964,473 
			 Redbridge 5,278,701 
			 Redcar and Cleve. 72,358,227 
			 Ribble Valley 4,933,381 
			 Richmondshire 4,558,475 
			 Rochdale 125,619,325 
			 Rochford 13,374,598 
			 Rossendale 22,917,151 
			 Rotherham 86,197,091 
			 Rugby 9,621,945 
			 Rushcliffe 10,193,380 
			 Salford 264,700,682 
			 Salisbury 3,100,516 
			 Sandwell 153,475,617 
			 Scarborough 1,628,567 
			 Sedgefield 20,968,254 
			 Sedgemoor 4,133,738 
			 Sefton 62,818,383 
			 Selby 1,869,973 
			 Sheffield 453,874,631 
			 Shepway 16,708,330 
			 Slough 310,252 
			 Solihull 41,456,202 
			 South Derby 8,179,264 
			 South Gloucs. 4,568,071 
			 South Holland 3,749,509 
			 South Kesteven 9,820,966 
			 South Norfolk 8,818,239 
			 South Tyneside 105,501,729 
			 Southampton 99,562,116 
			 Southend-on-Sea 26,946,215 
			 Southwark 676,348,289 
			 St. Albans 4,506,985 
			 St. Helens 85,703,384 
			 Stafford 19,348,657 
			 Stockport 54,550,497 
			 Stockton 78,603,105 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 77,899,143 
			 Sutton 11,089,142 
			 Swindon 26,932,824 
			 Tamworth 33,498,744 
			 Tandridge 735,324 
			 Taunton Deane 24,179,796 
			 Teesdale 4,040,171 
			 Teignbridge 1,618,058 
			 Tendring 19,023,423 
			 Thanet 11,588,305 
			 Thurrock 10,606,151 
			 Torridge 3,034,393 
			 Tower Hamlets 492,204,784 
			 Trafford 20,036,051 
			 Wakefield 110,548,189 
			 Walsall 120,591,468 
			 Waltham Forest 182,472,943 
			 Wandsworth 84,775,994 
			 Wansbeck 20,667,542 
			 Warrington 24,666,192 
			 Warwick 8,649,597 
			 Waveney 14,391,516 
			 Waverley 3,898,313 
			 Wealden 13,270,035 
			 Wear Valley 26,998,490 
			 Wellingborough 8,616,825 
			 Westminster 146,739,718 
			 Wigan 107,449,064 
			 Winchester 9,380,413 
			 Wirral 87,029,266 
			 Woking 2,284,636 
			 Wokingham 5,472,913 
			 Wolverhampton 162,966,352 
			 Worcester 25,039,132

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what research evidence he has on which to base his statement to the London Tenants' Federation conference on 27 November that some means of transfer meets the interests of the tenants better than having stock run by councils.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's research report Views on the Large Scale Voluntary Transfer ProcessMay 2000, which is available in the Library of the House, provides evidence that tenants of LSVT associations are more satisfied with their current landlord than local authority tenants as a whole.

Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the evidence submitted by local authorities to the consultation, 'The Way Forward for Housing Capital Finance', August 2002.

Keith Hill: Copies of the evidence submitted by local authorities, as well as other interested parties who responded to the consultation 'The Way Forward for Housing Capital Finance', August 2002, will be made available in the Library of the Houses.

Housing

Mark Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the increase in housing waiting lists in the South East; and if he will re-evaluate the Government's pledge to provide a decent home for all in the South East to take account of this increase.

Keith Hill: The number of households on local authority housing registers in the South East rose from 116,000 to 147,000 between April 2000 and April 2003. This does not, however, on its own, provide a robust assessment of housing need. This is because different criteria are adopted for inclusion in registers, some authorities operate joint registers with housing associations and some households will no longer be in housing needthe frequency of checks that applicants continue to require housing differ.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister remains committed to its targets to bring all social housing up to a decent standard by 2010 and to reduce the proportion of vulnerable private sector households living in non decent housing.
	Our existing target to reduce the numbers of statutorily homeless families in temporary accommodation, as part of the Public Service Agreement framework, reflects our commitment to tackling shortages in affordable housing. Funding for affordable housing has increased significantly since 200102. Allocations for 200405 and 200506 reflect recommendations from the South East Regional Housing Board for prioritisation for local authority areas with particular affordability or homelessness problems.
	In an initial response to the findings of the Barker Review of Housing Supply, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister made it clear that the Government accepted the need to increase the supply of affordable housing. Funding levels for 200607 and 200708 are being considered in the current Spending Review.

Inspections and Reviews

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the cost to (a) each of the local authorities in Cornwall and (b) the Council of the Isles of Scilly of meeting its obligation of monitoring, inspection, review and assessment by, for (i) the Audit Plan, (ii) the Audit Commission, (iii) the Social Services Inspectorate, (iv) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools, (v) Ofsted, (vi) the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate, (vii) Best Value, (viii) comprehensive performance assessments, (ix) the preparation of statutory plans/strategies and (x) other inspections and reviews.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not currently hold information on the cost to individual local authorities of meeting inspection and monitoring requirements. We are however committed to driving performance improvement and recognise the need to ensure that inspection and monitoring are co-ordinated, proportionate and responsive to improvement priorities of each council. We have already introduced a range of freedoms for councils linked to Comprehensive Performance Assessment. As a result 'excellent' councils have seen significant reductions in inspection activity and the removal of all service plan requirements beyond the Best Value Performance Plans and Community Strategy. All other categories of council will have seen a 75 per cent. reduction in the number of plans overall and around a 20 per cent. reduction in the number of days inspectors spent in councils compared to 200203. We are working with the Office for Public Sector Reform to build on this work and to develop an approach to assessing cost effectiveness and the benefits of inspection within local government.

Key Worker Definition

Mark Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he intends to extend the key worker definition to private sector employees.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's 'Key Worker Living' (KWL) programme is aimed at helping to alleviate recruitment and retentionwhere these are linked to the high cost of housingin frontline public services such as education, health and community safety. Only key workers directly employed by the public sector are eligible to apply for assistance through KWL. We have no plans to extend the programme to private sector employees.

Local Authorities

Alice Mahon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what instructions have been given to local authorities to ensure that (a) children, (b) elderly people, (c) people with mental illness and (d) people with learning difficulties for whom the local authority has responsibility are not exposed to (i) racist opinion expressed by and (ii) policy decisions taken by elected representatives.

Nick Raynsford: Regulations under the Local Government Act 2000 provide that under each local authority's code of conduct members must promote equality by not discriminating unlawfully against any person, and must treat others with respect. In addition, the amended Race Relations Act puts a statutory duty on all local authorities to promote race equality, and prepare and publish a Race Equality Scheme that must include provisions for assessing whether functions or policies are relevant to race equality, and for monitoring policies to see how they affect race' equality.

Local Elections

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities for which elections are being held in 2005, indicating in each case whether elections are being held in (a) all seats and (b) a third of seats.

Nick Raynsford: There are no elections involving a third of seats. Whole council elections are being held in the following local authorities in 2005:
	Bedfordshire County Council
	Buckinghamshire County Council
	Cambridgeshire County Council
	Cheshire County Council
	Cornwall County Council
	Cumbria County Council
	Derbyshire County Council
	Devon County Council
	Dorset County Council
	Durham County Council
	East Sussex County Council
	Essex County Council
	Gloucestershire County Council
	Hampshire County Council
	Hertfordshire County Council
	Isle of Wight Council
	Kent County Council
	Lancashire County Council
	Leicestershire County Council
	Lincolnshire County Council
	Norfolk County Council
	North Yorkshire County Council
	Northamptonshire County Council
	Northumberland County Council
	Nottinghamshire County Council
	Oxfordshire County Council
	Shropshire County Council
	Somerset County Council
	Staffordshire County Council
	Suffolk County Council
	Surrey County Council
	Warwickshire County Council
	West Sussex County Council
	Wiltshire County Council
	Worcestershire County Council

Local Government Finance (Cambridgeshire)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) formula spending share for and (b) grant paid under the floors and ceilings policy to (i) Cambridgeshire County Council and (ii) each district council in Cambridgeshire were for (A) 200304 and (B) 200405.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is tabled as follows:
	
		( million unless otherwise stated)
		
			 Local authority 200304 formula spending shares 200304 formula grant after floors and ceilings Adjusted 200304 formula spending shares Adjusted 200304 formula grant after floors and ceilings 
		
		
			 Cambridgeshire 448.965 288.141 432.888 279.796 
			 Cambridge 15.936 11.218 15.131 10.413 
			 East Cambridgeshire 10.282 5.253 9.574 4.545 
			 Fenland 12.364 6.900 11.815 6.351 
			 Huntingdonshire 20.789 9.504 19.462 8.177 
			 South Cambridgeshire 15.960 6.296 15.400 5.736 
		
	
	
		
			 Local authority 200405 formula spending shares 200405 formula grant after floors and ceilings Percentage change in formula spending shares Percentage change in formula grant 
		
		
			 Cambridgeshire 462.402 302.047 6.8 8.0 
			 Cambridge 15.615 10.725 3.2 3.0 
			 East Cambridgeshire 9.938 4.820 3.8 6.1 
			 Fenland 12.111 6.658 2.5 4.8 
			 Huntingdonshire 19.931 8.731 2.4 6.8 
			 South Cambridgeshire 15.833 5.938 2.8 3.5 
		
	
	Due to changes in the funding and functions of local authorities between 200304 and 200405 it is inappropriate to compare these directly. The 200304 Formula Spending Share (FSS) and Formula Grant have therefore been adjusted to enable comparisons on a like-for-like basis. The percentage changes in both FSS and Formula Grant have been supplied for convenience.

Local Government Finance (Cambridgeshire)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister from which (a) businesses, (b) charity organisations and (c) individuals he has received representations asking for Fenland District Council to have its council tax increase for 200405 capped.

Nick Raynsford: Over the last few months the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received a large volume of correspondence about council tax, some covering specific local authorities and others concerning the council tax system in general. An analysis of this information by type of respondent, subject matter and by local authority is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Travel

David Davis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many journeys were made by helicopter by each Minister in his Department and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years; and what the journey length was in each case.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established in May 2002. Since then Ministers have made three helicopter journeys, each to view the Thames Gateway. The information requested for predecessor Departments is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mobile Phone Masts

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) regulatory framework and (b) code of conduct applies to the placement of mobile phone masts and base stations in proximity to (i) schools, (ii) hospitals and (iii) residential areas.

Yvette Cooper: Mobile phone mast and base station developments near schools, hospitals and in residential areas are subject to the normal planning regulations in place throughout England, unless exempted by the regulations set out in Part 24 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (GPDO). The planning arrangements for telecommunications developments were significantly strengthened in 2001 and include improved requirements for consulting local people about mast proposals. The changes to the GPDO were underpinned by revised guidance, set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8, Telecommunications. The changes to the planning guidance also underlined that school governors must be consulted on all proposals for new masts on or near a school or college.

North West Objective 2 Advisory Group.

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who sits on the Objective 2 advisory group at the Government Office for the North West; and how appointments to this group are made.

Nick Raynsford: Representatives of the following organisations or sectors are on the Objective 2 advisory group:
	Ian Hill, West Cumbria CVS
	Pernille Kousgaard, North West Development Agency
	Jon Piggott, Association of Colleges North West
	Anne Cletheroe, North West Regional Assembly
	Stuart Gibson, Lancashire Action Plan Partnerships
	Anne Marie Harrison, Lancashire local authorities
	Ann Steel, Cheshire local authorities
	Celia Comrie, Greater Manchester Action Plan Partnerships
	John Hawkins, Association of Greater Manchester Authorities
	Emile Pinel, Voluntary SectorNorth West Network
	Christine Lambe, East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce
	Tina Egan, North West Universities Association
	Eric Hudson, North West Chambers Ltd.
	Charles Holmes, Cheshire Action Plan Partnerships
	Gillian Elliott, Cumbrian local authorities
	Brian Lightowler, Cumbrian Action Plan Partnerships
	Jo Lappin, Government Office North West
	Norman Pearson, Government Office North West
	Each representative has a named deputy who may attend and fully participate in meetings in their absence.
	Nominations for each place are invited from the relevant sector/organisation, and membership of each Programme body, is formally reviewed on an annual basis.

North West Objective 2 Advisory Group.

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what criteria are used for deciding which bids go forward for further consideration by the North West Objective 2 advisory group;
	(2)  if he will list (a) the criteria, and (b) the scoring against that criteria, for the bids submitted to the Government Office for the North West for Objective 2 Priority 2 sub-regional projects.

Nick Raynsford: The initial sift criteria used in deciding which bids should be invited to submit a full bid for Objective 2 Priority 2 funding of sub-regionally or regionally significant projects were as follows:
	
		
			 Criteria Marks available 
		
		
			 Gate criterion  
			 1. Evidence of regional or sub-regional impact 5 Good evidence 
			  3 Some evidence 
			  0 Little evidence 
			 Other criteria  
			 2. Complementarity to Housing Market Renewal Initiative 1 
			 3. Strategic Approach to creation of economic activity (e.g. micro and community enterprises) 2 
			 4. Innovative within sub-region and exemplar 1 
			 5. Applicant delivery capability (from risk assessment exercise) 2 Low risk 1 Medium risk 0 High risk or unknown 
			 6. Transport and/or Tourism related 1 
			 7. Addresses underachieving Single Programming Document (SPD) outputs 2 
			 8. Address other SPD outputs or underachieving Programme Complement outputs 1 
			 Total marks available 15 
		
	
	(68) Projects to score 3 or above to proceed to next round
	The bids submitted for the initial sift exercise, were scored as follows:
	
		
			  
		
		
			 Evidence of sub-regional/regional benefit  
			 A. Circus Skills Centre of Excellence Rochdale 12 
			 B. Manchester and Salford Sustaining Neighbourhoods 10 
			 C. Blackpool Regional Gaming Academy 9 
			 D. Manchester Institute of Sport and Physical Activity 9 
			 E. West Cumbria Social Enterprise Initiative 8 
			 F. Preston Community Futures Centre of Excellence 8 
			 G. Tameside Borough Credit Union 8 
			 H. Emmaus Lancashire 8 
			 I. Rochdale Homeworking Development 7 
			 J. Oldham and Rochdale Partners in Action 7 
			 K. Bolton Trinity Centre 6 
			   
			 Little evidence of sub-regional/regional benefit  
			 L. Blackburn with Darwen acting locally for a wider impact 10 
			 M. Ashton Renewal Community Learning Facility 7 
			 N. Ashton Renewal Social Recruitment Agency 4 
			 0. Stockport First House 4 
			 P. Ashton Renewal Public Realm Programme 4 
			 Q. Connection to Work 3 
			 R. Preston E-Community Development Centre 2 
			 S. Rochdale MBC and GMPTE real time public transport 3 
			 T. Lancashire police turning on the harbour lights 1 
		
	
	The breakdown against each criterion was:
	
		
			  Criteria and score awarded 
			  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total 
		
		
			 Organisation (codes above)  
			 A 5 0 2 1 0 1 2 1 12 
			 B 3 1 0 0 2 1 2 1 10 
			 C 5 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 9 
			 D 5 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 9 
			 E 3 0 2 1 0 0 2 0 8 
			 F 3 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 8 
			 G 3 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 8 
			 H 3 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 8 
			 I 3 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 7 
			 J 3 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 7 
			 K 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 6 
			 Cut off point for inviting full bids 
			 L 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 10 
			 M 0 0 2 0 2 0 2 1 7 
			 N 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 4 
			 O 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 4 
			 P 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 4 
			 Q 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 
			 R 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			 S 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 
			 T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1

North West Objective 2 Advisory Group.

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list projects which (a) were and (b) were not put forward for further consideration for Objective 2 Priority 2 sub-regional funding on 20 April by the Objective 2 advisory group.

Nick Raynsford: The bids invited to submit full applications for further consideration were:
	Manchester and Salford Sustaining Neighbourhoods
	West Cumbria Social Enterprise Initiative
	Preston Community Futures Centre of Excellence
	Tameside Borough Credit Union
	Emmaus Lancashire
	Rochdale MBC Homeworking Development
	Oldham and Rochdale Partners in Action
	Bolton Trinity Centre
	Skylight Circus Skills Centre of Excellence
	Blackpool and Fylde Regional Gaming Academy
	Manchester Institute of Sport and Physical Activity
	The bids not invited to submit full applications were:
	Blackburn with Darwen Acting Locally for a Wider Impact
	Ashton Renewal Community Learning Facility
	Ashton Renewal Social Recruitment Agency
	Ashton Renewal Public Realm Programme
	Stockport First House
	Tameside Connection to Work
	Preston E-Community Development Centre
	Rochdale MBC and GMPTE Real Time Public Transport
	Lancashire Police Turning on the Harbour Lights

North West Objective 2 Advisory Group.

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what bid for Objective 2 Priority 2 sub-regional projects scored highest out of bids put forward to the Government Office for the North West.

Nick Raynsford: Skylight Circus Skills Centre of Excellence scored highest in the initial appraisal round, scoring 12 marks from a maximum of 15 marks available.

Official Vehicles

John Barrett: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of official vehicles used by his Office are run on (a) petrol, (b) diesel, (c) liquid petroleum gas and (d) compressed natural gas.

Yvette Cooper: The Government as a whole have signed up to various targets for improving the performance of their own vehicle fleet, details of which, together with reports on each Department's progress towards these targets, are available at: www.sustainable-development.gov.uk
	Ministerial group vehicles in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are provided by the Government Car Service. Detailed information on the breakdown of the GCS vehicle fleet is being provided separately.
	The following table provides a breakdown of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's vehicle fleet (apart from those referred to in the previous paragraph) as of May 2004 by vehicle category and fuel type. Although the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has overall responsibility for the buildings occupied by Government offices, they carry out functions on behalf of 10 Departments.
	
		
			  May 2004 
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 ODPM(C)   
			 Cars   
			 Petrol   
			 Diesel 5 83 
			 LPG   
			 Natural gas   
			 Electric 1 17 
			 Total 6 100 
			
			 Vans (3.5t)   
			 Petrol   
			 Diesel   
			 LPG/natural gas   
			 Electric 1 100 
			 Total 1 100 
			
			 Government offices   
			 Cars   
			 Petrol 18 32 
			 Diesel 25 44 
			 LPG 13 22 
			 Natural gas 0  
			 Electric 1 2 
			 Total 57 100 
		
	
	In addition, there is the fleet of Green Goddesses and fire training vehicles used by the Fire Service College, all of which run on diesel.

Ordnance Survey

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the current valuation is of the Ordnance Survey.

Yvette Cooper: The Balance Sheet of Ordnance Survey is shown in the Annual Report and Accounts. The most recent Accounts including the opinion of the Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office were published on 10July 2003 and show a value of 57,919,000.

PFI Contracts

Paul Beresford: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he is planning amendments to the structure under which private finance initiative contracts are awarded; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no current plans to amend the structure under which private finance initiative contracts are awarded. We continue to follow Her Majesty's Treasury guidance on Private Finance Initiative.

Postal Voting

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his policy requiring electoral registration officers to issue lists of postal voters who have voted prior to polling day in general, European, local council and regional elections and referendums; and if he will estimate the timescale for introducing such a requirement.

Phil Hope: Ordinarily, our electoral arrangements do not provide for the release by returning officers, before the close of poll, of polling progress information showing lists of electors who have voted. However, political parties have tended to make arrangements to identify electors who have cast their votes at polling stations on Polling Day. Such arrangements are not possible at an all-postal election.
	Against this background, some local authorities were permitted in 2002 and 2003 to provide polling progress information before the close of poll at local election pilots. The European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Act 2004 requires that such information must be provided by returning officers in this year's four pilot regions to persons or organisations specified in the pilot order made under its provisions.
	Before taking decisions about introducing such a requirement in elections or referendums more generally, we will want to have careful regard to the outcome of the pilots undertaken in this year's combined European Parliamentary and local elections and to the Electoral Commission's evaluation of those pilots.

Regional Funding (Worcestershire)

Peter Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the further report by Professors Blanchflower and Oswald on Calculating an Appropriate Regional Funding Adjustment for Worcestershire, a copy of which has been sent by the county council; and what assessment he has made of the relative pay levels of Worcestershire compared to neighbouring areas.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have considered the further report by Professors Oswald and Blanchflower and concluded that it does not provide a case for awarding Worcestershire an area cost adjustment (ACA) top-up within the local government funding system.
	The relative pay levels of Worcestershire, if they were to be considered separately, would similarly not justify an ACA factor higher than one, which is the present ACA factor for Hereford and Worcestershire.
	As announced in the 2001 white paper 'strong local leadershipquality public services' (CM5237) the funding formulae will be frozen for at least 200405 and 200506. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not intend to change the way that the ACA is calculated during this period.

Standards Board

Peter Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Standards Board for England about the appropriateness of its making public the result of its investigation of councillors during an election for which councillors are standing for re-election.

Nick Raynsford: While neither my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister nor I have had any such discussions with the Standards Board, my officials have sent to the Board's Chief Executive guidance, issued by the Secretary of the Cabinet, on the conduct of business in the period before elections. That guidance indicates that for non-departmental public bodies decisions on individual matters are for the bodies concerned.

Starter Homes Initiative

Edward Davey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many key workers, broken down by worker category, were assisted by the Starter Homes Initiative;
	(2)  how much was spent on (a) administration and (b) staff costs under the Starter Homes Initiative.

Keith Hill: At the end of April 2004, 9,021 key workers had completed their house purchases under the 250 million Starter Home Initiative (SHI): 4,028 health workers, 3,255 teachers, 1,351 police and 387 other key workers such as social workers. 295 of these were key workers who jointly purchased a home with another key worker. There are also some further key workers who exchanged contracts before the end of March 2004 who have still to complete their SHI house purchases.
	As at the end of April 2004, 12.4 million had been spent on scheme managers' administration costs including marketing of the scheme, an average of 1,374 per key worker helped.
	In addition, extra funding was identified in March 2004 to help a further 1,200 key workers applying under the SHI. A breakdown of this figure by sector is not held centrally.
	Staff costs in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister associated with the Starter Home Initiative are in the region of 220,000 over the entire three-year life of the scheme.

Temporary Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 200102, (b) 200203 and (c) 200304 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The Office was formed on 29 May 2002. At any one time the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister employs approximately 120 individuals through employment agencies, which represents around 5 per cent. of the total staff employed. Since June 2002 the Office has spent 4.2 million with employment agencies.